Turtles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here.

Alright, we’ve got a bit of a mixed bag on the cards for Turtles over the next couple of weeks. There’s plenty of swell energy pushing through, but the wind is going to be the main character for much of it, and it doesn’t always play nice. The water’s sitting at 73°, which is pretty much what you’d expect for this time of year – nothing weird going on there.

Let’s start with the first real highlight. Sunday the 30th of August, the morning session is the one to circle. The wind drops out completely – glassy conditions – and we’ve got a solid 6ft SW groundswell with a very long 17-second period. That’s serious energy and it’s coming from the optimum direction for this reef. It’s an advanced wave, so this is for the crew who know what they’re doing. The long period will mean clean, powerful lines wrapping around the reef, but be aware that kind of period can make beach breaks tricky – here on the reef, it’ll be a dream. After lunch, the wind swings around and the quality drops, so make the most of that window.

Monday the 31st still has size – 7ft from the WSW – and the morning has light cross-shore wind. It’s not as perfect as Sunday, but there’ll be waves. The crowd factor at Turtles is “often” busy, and with this kind of swell, expect company. The afternoon gets choppy, though.

Tuesday the 1st of September morning looks clean again with a cross-off breeze and 6ft WSW swell. This is another good option for experienced surfers. The period is still a solid 16 seconds, so the quality will be there.

After that, the middle of the week gets messy. Wednesday 2nd through Friday 5th, the swell hangs around at 5ft to 6ft, but the wind is either cross or cross-on, and speeds hit 19-22 mph, making it lumpy and choppy. Not worth paddling out for unless you’re desperate.

Now, for the second standout. Jump ahead to Thursday the 10th of September and Friday the 11th. This is the most powerful swell of the whole run. On Thursday morning, we’ve got 8ft from the WSW with a 17-second period and moderate cross-off wind – clean conditions. That’s serious, groundswell energy ripping through. Friday morning goes even bigger, 8ft from the same direction with a clean cross-off breeze. This is big, heavy reef surf – experts only. The crowd will be there because it’s pumping. The long period (17 seconds) will give you those long lulls between sets, making it easier to get out the back, but the waves themselves will be powerful and lined up.

After that, the swell drops back a touch for the 12th and 13th, but the wind gets strong again, so it’s back to choppy conditions.

Overall, the best windows are the Sunday morning (30th Aug) and the Thursday/Friday run (10th & 11th Sep). Don’t sleep on those Thursday/Friday sessions – they’re the real deal for advanced surfers, just don’t expect clean conditions in the afternoons.

Rusty.

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