Tunnels Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s chew through this forecast.

Right off the bat, the first few days are small and wind-affected – nothing to get too worked up about. The real drawcard comes later, so be patient.

Tuesday 15th September kicks off with clean but small waves at Tunnels. Swell is 2ft from the SW, running on a 20-second period – that’s a long-period groundswell, perfect for a point break. Water temp is 81°, spot on for this time of year. Combined energy is 392 (moderate). It’s a longboard kind of day – surfable, but nothing special.

From Wednesday 16th right through to Tuesday 22nd, it’s a grind. Swell stays between 2ft and 3ft, but the wind cranks up to 15–22 mph from the ENE, cross-off. Period drops under 15 seconds, and the waves lose shape and power. Afternoon windows occasionally look a bit better, but most sessions are rated poor to marginal. That’s a solid week of ordinary surf.

Wednesday 23rd September brings a shift. Morning shows offshore wind from the east at 16 mph, with 2ft SW swell, period 17 seconds. Combined energy is 266 (weak to moderate). It’s tiny, but with a clean offshore breeze and that longer period, it’ll be glassy and fun for a log. The forecast says “expect good surf conditions” – a nice little window.

But the real standout is Saturday 26th September. Both morning and afternoon are looking primo. Swell hits 3ft from the SSW, period 16 seconds, with gentle offshore winds from the ESE at only 9 mph – glassy, clean conditions. Combined energy ramps to 585 for the morning and 519 in the afternoon (strong to moderate). This is the best session of the forecast. Tunnels will be clean and punchy. Just know that crowds can be heavy here, so plan accordingly.

Sunday 27th afternoon offers another decent shot with moderate offshore wind and similar swell. Then Tuesday 29th afternoon shows light east breeze and 3ft SSW swell – another clean, fun session to close out the month.

Bottom line: skip the first week’s mediocrity. Hit Wednesday 23rd for a small clean one, and make sure you’re in the water on Saturday 26th – that’s your day.

Rusty.

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