Turtles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a solid run of swell from the southwest, but it’s not all smooth sailing. The winds are going to be the main character here, shifting around a lot, so we’ll need to pick our windows carefully. The standout spot is Turtles, a reef break that’s fairly consistent and exposed to the southwest swell. The water temp is sitting at 73°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no need to worry about a wetsuit.

The action kicks off on Wednesday, the 12th of August. The morning is a bit of a tease with a clean 8ft SW swell at 16 seconds, but a strong 22 mph easterly wind is blowing offshore, which is a good thing. The problem is the combined energy is pumping hard at 2941, and with that size, it’s already pushing into expert territory. The afternoon of the 12th is a better bet. The swell drops to 8ft from the same direction, the wind eases to 12 mph from the ESE, still offshore, and the energy is still strong at 2516. The call says excellent for experienced surfers, and that’s the best of the early days.

Thursday the 13th keeps the swell solid at 6ft to 6ft from the SW. The morning is clean with a moderate offshore breeze, but the afternoon steals the show: a light SSE breeze at 6 mph, cross-offshore, making for clean conditions on a 6ft SW swell. That’s a nice window.

Friday the 14th still has some size, 7ft to 7ft, but the wind gets messy. The morning is cross-off with a moderate breeze, so it’s clean enough, but the afternoon turns cross-shore with a gentle breeze, and the quality drops. Saturday the 15th is a split day. The morning is a gem: gentle offshore ESE wind at 9 mph, clean 6ft SW swell, excellent for experienced surfers. But the afternoon is a write-off with strong cross-onshore winds and chop.

Now, Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th are a bit of a write-off. The swell drops and the wind is all over the place, with cross-shore and onshore winds making a mess of things. A couple of days to sit out.

But then, hold onto your boards. Tuesday the 18th of August delivers the first true standout. The morning is exceptional for expert surfers: a 10ft WSW swell, 17-second period, with a clean cross-offshore breeze from the ESE at 9 mph. The combined energy is a massive 5119. That’s a serious groundswell, and it’s going to be pouring into Turtles. The long period means it’ll be a proper reef-break wave, with long lulls between sets, making it easier to get out the back. This is the one to circle on the calendar.

Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th keep the size up, with 8ft to 12ft swells from the WSW. The morning of the 20th is excellent, with a light offshore ESE breeze cleaning up a 10ft swell. But the real standout, the one that gets the heart racing, is Friday the 21st of August. The morning has a 10ft WSW swell, 16-second period, and the wind is glassy. Zero wind. The energy is 5070. That’s exceptional, expert-only surf. If you can handle it, this is the best session of the whole run.

The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd goes downhill fast. The 22nd is a mess with strong cross-onshore winds, and the 23rd is lumpy and cross-shore. The swell is still there, but the wind kills it.

The final week is a bit of a mixed bag. Monday the 24th has a clean morning with a light SSE cross-offshore breeze and a 6ft SW swell. That’s a nice, manageable size for experienced surfers. Tuesday the 25th is back to cross-shore winds and smaller swell. Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th have clean mornings with fresh cross-offshore breezes, but the swell is smaller, around 4ft to 6ft, and the energy is moderate. For a second-week option, it’s not a disaster, but the real magic is in that first week.

So, the two true standouts: Tuesday the 18th of August morning for the raw power, and Friday the 21st of August morning for the glassy perfection. Both are expert-only. The rest of the time, you’re picking your windows carefully.

Rusty.

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