Turtles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Turtles.

We’ve got a solid run of southwest groundswell on the cards, but it’s not all smooth sailing. The conditions are going to be picky, so you’ll need to pick your windows. The standout period looks like the morning of Tuesday the 25th of August, with a clean 5ft SSW swell and light offshore winds. It’s not the biggest, but the combination of clean conditions and decent energy (767) makes it the best all-round bet for a quality session. Another one to keep an eye on is the morning of Thursday the 27th of August, but that’s a big 10ft SW swell with very strong energy (4451) – that’s for experienced surfers only, and the offshore breeze will keep it clean. That Thursday morning is a true standout for the bigger stuff, but only if you’ve got the skills.

The first real chance for a wave kicks off on Monday the 24th of August. The morning shows a 6ft WSW swell with clean conditions and a cross-off breeze, but the energy is solid (1432) and it’s described as marginal due to tides. It’s not a classic, but it’s a start. The afternoon gets messy with a cross-on wind, so avoid that. Tuesday the 25th of August is the pick of the early week – the morning is clean with a 5ft SW swell, light winds, and moderate energy (767). The afternoon turns poor. Wednesday the 26th of August has a clean morning with a 5ft SW swell and offshore winds, but the energy is high (1126) and it’s still marginal. Thursday the 27th of August morning is the big one: 10ft SW swell, very long 16-second period, strong energy (4451), and clean conditions – that’s a proper groundswell, but it’s big and powerful, best for experts. The afternoon is a write-off with strong cross-shore winds. Friday the 28th of August and Saturday the 29th of August mornings are clean but only small to moderate, with marginal conditions and moderate to fresh cross-off winds. Sunday the 30th of August morning has a 6ft WSW swell with a very long 18-second period and offshore winds – that’s promising but still marginal. The afternoon turns choppy.

Into the second week, things stay active but messy. Monday the 31st of August morning is clean with a 7ft WSW swell, but it’s marginal. Tuesday the 1st of September morning is similar, clean and 7ft. Wednesday the 2nd of September and Thursday the 3rd of September mornings both offer clean 5-6ft WSW swells, but the energy is moderate and it’s still marginal. Friday the 4th of September morning is clean but windy, and Saturday the 5th of September morning brings a bigger 8ft WSW swell with very long 17-second period and strong energy (2999) – that’s a good prospect for experienced surfers, but it’s still marginal. Sunday the 6th of September morning has a 8ft SW swell with strong energy (2375) and clean conditions, but it’s windy. The pattern holds through Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th of September with moderate to clean conditions but marginal surf.

Turtles is a reef break, so it handles the long-period swells well, and the optimum swell direction is SSW, which matches most of what’s coming. Water temperature is about average for the time of year, no major anomaly. Crowds are often present, so expect company. The break is fairly consistent, which is a plus. This is not a beginner’s spot – when the swell hits 8ft and above, it’s expert territory only. For the bigger days, the setup looks more interesting for paddle surfing if you’re skilled, but on the messy afternoons, you might be better off on a kite.

Overall, the best on offer is the morning of Tuesday the 25th of August for a clean, manageable session, and the morning of Thursday the 27th of August for the big, clean groundswell for experts.

Rusty.

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