Tunnels Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what we've got cooking over the next couple of weeks for Tunnels.

It's a pretty quiet start, honestly. The first real chance for a wave is on Wednesday afternoon, September 9th. We've got a 3ft SSW swell rolling in with a 13-second period. The wind is a cross-off from the ENE at 9 mph, so it'll be clean. The water's sitting at 81°, which is pretty much spot-on for this time of year. The overall energy is moderate (372). It’s a decent little session to get wet, but nothing to write home about.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. From Thursday the 10th right through to Monday the 14th, it’s mostly marginal to poor. The swell drops off, and the wind picks up. You'll see some clean conditions, but the waves just aren't there to get excited about. There's a bit of a bump in the swell energy on Monday afternoon (315) with a very long period of 22 seconds, but the conditions are only marginal, so don't get your hopes up.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. The standout window kicks off on Tuesday, September 15th. Both morning and afternoon are looking good. Swell is a solid 2ft from the SW with a long period of 19-20 seconds. The combined energy is strong (433-422), and the wind is light and offshore from the ENE, so it’ll be glassy clean. This is your best bet in the near term – a proper little groundswell for the reef. It's an exposed spot, so it'll pick up everything.

We get a bit of a tease on Wednesday the 16th with some bigger 3ft swell and very strong energy (581-597), but the wind is stronger (12-16 mph) and the conditions are only marginal. The swell continues to build into Friday the 18th, with the energy hitting 681-701 (very strong), but again, those moderate to fresh cross-off winds are going to mess with the surface. This is likely going to be a bit blown-out.

We then drop off again over the weekend and into the start of the following week. It’s poor or very ordinary through to Tuesday the 22nd.

But hang tight, because the long-range forecast is promising. Wednesday, September 23rd is another one to circle on the calendar. Morning and afternoon both have 2-2ft SSW swell with a long period of 18-19 seconds. The combined energy is moderate to strong (310-361), and the wind is light or even near-calm from the east. This will be clean, glassy surf. It’s a bit further out, so don’t lock it in just yet, but it’s got the makings of a beauty.

So to wrap it up: the best on offer is Tuesday, September 15th, with Wednesday, September 23rd as a promising long-range call. The rest of the time, the swell is either too small or the wind is too strong to make it worth the paddle out.

Rusty.

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