Tunnels Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for the Tunnels area. It’s a bit of a slow burn coming up, with plenty of time to wax your board and check your fins.

We’ve got a run of pretty ordinary conditions kicking off this outlook period. Starting Thursday the 27th of August, there’s some small swell around 3 ft coming from the south, but that fresh 30 km/h cross-off breeze from the ENE is really just making it a messy affair. The combined wave energy is moderate at best (561), but the quality just isn’t there. Friday the 28th through to the end of August is rough – same small south swell, same fresh wind. The water temperature is about average for the time of year at 81°, nothing special there.

The first week of September doesn’t offer much to get excited about either. We’re stuck in a pattern of marginal to poor surf conditions from the 1st to the 6th. The swell stays small, mostly under 3 ft from the S or SSW, with that persistent ENE wind keeping things choppy. There’s a couple of days (1st and 6th) where the energy picks up a bit (around 441 to 548), but the wind kills it. This is a long, quiet stretch of about 10 days.

Now, here’s the one that has my heart rate up. Mark your calendars for Monday the 7th of September. This is the standout in the whole 16-day window. The Tunnels are looking at a clean 4 to 4 ft of SSW groundswell with a solid 15-second period. That’s proper energy, and with a combined swell energy of 631, it’s got some push. The best part? The wind goes light, shifting to a gentle offshore from the east on Monday afternoon. That is going to groom those lines beautifully. The offshore wind and the long period swell from the SSW hitting this exposed reef setup is the recipe for a really good session. It’s an intermediate wave, so it won’t be for total beginners, and since crowds are “often,” expect some company for these clean waves.

After that little taste of glory, the 8th and 9th of September see the energy drop back off and that fresh cross-off wind returns, so it’s back to the ordinary stuff. The end of the forecast window around the 10th and 11th of September is a complete dud. Swell is tiny, wind is all wrong, and the energy is weak.

So, the call is clear: sit tight, watch the wind, and be ready for that Monday the 7th. That’s the day.

- Rusty

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