Tunnels Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The forecast is built around one spot, Tunnels. There’s a bit of a slow start, and honestly, most of the 16-day window looks pretty ordinary. We’ve got some swell building later on, but it’s fighting against persistent cross-off winds. Let’s break it down.

The water at Tunnels is sitting at a very warm 80°, which is spot on for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

The first sniff of anything worthwhile shows up on Friday, August 21st afternoon. There’s a small, clean 2ft SW groundswell rolling in with a long 16-second period. The wave energy is moderate, clocking in at 252. It’s small, but that long period and clean conditions make it a decent little session for intermediates, though it’s a Friday so expect the crowds to be around.

Everything after that turns to poor surf conditions for a long stretch. From Saturday the 22nd right through to the end of the month, the wind stays a stiff cross-off from the ENE, mostly 19-22 mph. The swell hangs around 2ft to 2ft, mostly from the SSW. It stays clean, but it’s just not enough to get excited about. There’s a slight pulse of energy mid-week around August 26th, but it’s still rated poor.

Things get a bit more interesting around Thursday, August 27th morning. The swell picks up to 4ft from the S, with a 17-second period. The combined wave energy jumps to 871 – that’s moderate to strong. The wind is still cross-off ENE at 16 mph, so it’s clean. This is probably the best wave size on offer, but the conditions are still “marginal” at best. For a confident intermediate, there’s something to work with, but it’s not a standout.

The same pattern continues through early September. On Tuesday, September 1st afternoon, we get another S swell at 3ft with an 18-second period and energy at 500. Still that cross-off wind. Then on Thursday, September 3rd, the wind finally eases back. Thursday morning shows a light S breeze at 12 mph with a 3ft S swell, but Thursday afternoon gets interesting: a light SSW breeze at 6 mph, almost glassy cross-shore. The swell is still 3ft from the S with a 14-second period, and the energy is 306. That afternoon window looks like the cleanest, most user-friendly conditions in the whole run, and it lands on a Thursday for lighter crowds.

The standout: Thursday, September 3rd afternoon at Tunnels.
Swell: 3ft from the S. Wind: light cross-shore at 6 mph. Clean glassy conditions. The wave energy is moderate at 306. It’s not tall, but it’s the best combo of size, clean face, and lighter crowd potential. It’s the pick of the bunch.

Friday, September 4th morning also looks surfable but very ordinary – 2ft S swell with a light ENE breeze, but energy is low at 181.

After that, Saturday September 5th afternoon sees a pulse of 2ft SSW swell with a very long 17-second period and energy climbing to 346, but the wind is back up to a fresh 19 mph cross-off. Gives it power, but the wind will chop it up.

Overall, there’s a long gap of poor surf from August 22nd through to about August 26th, then a few marginal windows. The single real highlight is that Thursday September 3rd afternoon light-wind session. Keep your eyes on the forecasts for that one, it’s promising.

- Rusty

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