Turtles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead, but it’s not a straight-up free-for-all. The first few days are a bit of a warm-up before the real juice kicks in. There’s a gap with no real recommendations until we hit Thursday, August 6th, so don’t rush out the door just yet.

Alright, let’s talk about the main event. The standout for the whole run is Turtles (a reef break, advanced only). This spot is exposed to the swell, and it’s fairly consistent—so when it’s on, it’s on. The water temp is sitting at 74°, which is about 1° above normal for this time of year, so nothing wild there, just your average warm bath.

The real magic starts shaping up on Thursday, August 6th morning. We’ve got a solid 8 ft swell hammering in from the WSW, with a long 16-second period—pure groundswell, full of energy. The combined energy reading is 3548 (moderate-strong), so you’ll feel the push. The wind is a gentle SSE breeze, cross-offshore, which will keep the surface clean. This is proper advanced territory; 8 ft is pushing into expert-only water, so leave the foamies at home.

But the absolute crown jewel? That’s Sunday, August 16th morning. Mark it. Glassy conditions with the wind dropping to 3 mph from the east, almost nothing. The swell is a solid 10 ft from the WSW, with a 17-second period—very long period groundswell. Combined energy hits 4707 (strong). This is the kind of day where Turtles turns into a bowling alley for those who know what they’re doing. The swell direction is right in the sweet spot for this break (SSW optimum), so expect those lines to stand up and pitch. Just know that with a long period like this, the sets will be spaced out, and it’ll be a bit straight at the takeoff—perfect for a reef setup like this.

There’s another promising morning on Wednesday, August 19th with glassy conditions again (NW 3 mph) and a 10 ft WSW swell, 16-second period, and energy at 5220 (strong). That’s exceptional wave energy, but it’s for experts only. The wind is offshore in the morning, which will be a dream.

A few other mornings to keep an eye on: Saturday, August 15th morning has 8 ft with a clean SE cross-offshore breeze, but it’s not quite as punchy as the top picks. Tuesday, August 18th morning also has a 10 ft swell, but the wind is cross-off, not glassy, so it’ll be a bit less perfect.

If you’re not an expert, stay away from the 8 ft+ days. The long-period swells here are best for the reef—this isn’t a beach break you can just paddle into. Crowds are “often” at Turtles, so expect company on the good days, especially those Sunday and Wednesday standouts.

The second week is a bit more of a mixed bag. The wind picks up through the middle of the week (fresh breezes), but that clean morning window on the 16th and 19th is worth planning around. The end of the run on the 19th afternoon goes cross-onshore, so get your session in early.

So, in short: the best of the best is Sunday, August 16th morning at Turtles—glassy, 10 ft, 17-second swell, strong energy. Second best is Wednesday, August 19th morning with that glassy offshore wind. Don’t sleep on those.

Stay safe, watch the sets, and I’ll see you in the lineup.

Rusty.

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