Turtles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.

Right now, the first few days are a bit of a write-off. The wind is on it or cross-onshore and the surf is pretty average through to the end of Friday. You can just about scratch it off. The real story is coming, so don’t throw the towel in yet.

The standout session without a doubt is Saturday morning (September 12th) at Turtles. This is the pick of the whole run. The swell is pushing about 7 ft from the WSW with a 17-second period, which is proper long-period groundswell that will unload with real power and shape on that reef. The water is bang on average for this time of year at 71°. The combined swell energy is 2605 – that’s a solid pulse heading in. But the big win is the wind: glassy. Zero breeze. That’s going to make the surface look like a mirror. All that energy with no chop. It’s only for experienced surfers at that size – too big for beginners – but if you know what you’re doing, get in the water. The crowds are often here, so expect company on the takeoff.

That Saturday afternoon, the wind swings cross-onshore and it goes to rubbish pretty fast. If you miss the morning, you’ve missed it.

Sunday morning (September 13th) still has decent swell – about 6 ft, 15-second period – but there’s a crosswind and cross-chop creeping in, so it turns marginal. Not a total loss, but not the same magic as Saturday.

Next week, Wednesday morning (September 16th) is another tiny window that catches the eye. The swell drops a notch to about 6 ft from the SW, but the wind goes glassy again early. The energy is moderate at 1255 (combined), and the period is down to 14 seconds – still decent shape. It’s clean, but it’s not going to have that same power as the Saturday before. Still worth the paddle if you’ve got the itch.

From Thursday onward, things get messy again. Strong winds, lumpy surface, and the quality drops off. There’s a pulse of very large swell around September 19th (Saturday) at about 10 ft from the WSW, but the wind is cross all day, mixing it up. That much size with chop is more of an ordeal than a treat; it’s probably more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing that day. That morning it’s rated marginal, not clean.

The second week has a few potential mornings with better wind – like the 23rd and 24th September mornings, where you get a cross-offshore and clean conditions – but the swell is smaller (about 4 ft to 6 ft) and inconsistent. The combined energy on the 24th morning is 2219, which is decent, and the period is a very long 21 seconds. That kind of period will make it wrap nicely at Turtles, but the size is smallish and it’ll be a long wait between sets. Still a chance for a clean, reefy wave if you’re patient.

September 25th morning also has clean, cross-offshore wind with about 7 ft from the WSW and 18-second period. The combined energy is high at 2924, but the wind is strong at 22 mph, so it’ll be clean but with some grip in the breeze. It’s a promising but less certain session for the long-range – keep an eye on it.

From around the 22nd on, a few mornings show up with rain showers and some clouds, and the wind patterns start to shift. September 26th morning has a cross-offshore from the ESE with about 6 ft and a fresh offshore that cleans it right up. That could be a sneaky good end to the run if it holds.

Overall, the one to block out your Saturday morning for is the 12th. That’s the gold window. Everything else is workable, but nothing comes close to that glassy, long-period groundswell combo.

Bottom line: one killer morning, then pick the scraps for clean windows through the second half.

Stay wet.

- Rusty

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