Turtles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it.

We’ve got a solid window of groundswell on the horizon, but it’s a real mixed bag of conditions. The standout is without a doubt Turtles (Turtles-2), an advanced reef break that’s exposed to the swell. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so nothing wild there.

The real action kicks off on Tuesday the 18th of August. Tuesday morning is the pick of the entire outlook. We’re looking at a powerful 10-foot swell from the WSW with a very long 17-second period, pumping a massive 5651 combined energy. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the ESE, meaning it’ll be clean. This is serious, expert-level surf. The wave energy is strong (5651), the sets will be long and powerful, but it’s a reef break, so it’ll handle that energy perfectly. This is the one to circle. The afternoon on Tuesday gets messy with a strong cross-onshore wind, so get in early.

Wednesday the 19th is still offering decent size, 8 feet to 8 feet, and the wind stays cross-off, but it’s a fresher breeze, making it less perfect than Tuesday morning. The energy is still high (3480 and 2650). Thursday the 20th morning sees a return to lighter winds, with 8 feet of swell and 16-second period. Clean, powerful, but the energy is a touch down (3319). Still excellent for experienced surfers.

Friday the 21st morning has a crisp offshore wind from the ESE, with 7-foot swell from the SW. The energy is still strong (2204). This is a very good, clean option.

Then we get a real treat on Saturday the 22nd of August. The morning brings a glassy, 6-foot swell from the SW. The wind is literally glass, from the WSW at just 6 km/h. The energy is moderate (1666), but with that glassy surface, the waves will be picture-perfect. This is a fantastic morning for any experienced surfer.

After Saturday, the quality drops. Sunday the 23rd is a write-off with strong cross-onshore winds. The following week, from Monday the 24th through to Monday the 31st of August, is a mixed bag. The swell sticks around, mostly in the 4-foot to 7-foot range, but the winds are often onshore or strong, leading to lumpy, messy conditions. There are a few clean moments with offshore winds, like on the 26th and 27th of August, but the energy is lower and the conditions are just marginal. The 28th of August morning has a clean offshore wind from the ENE, but the swell is only 6 feet.

The forecast ends on the 2nd of September with an 8-foot swell from the SW, but a strong cross-offshore wind from the SE keeps the score low. It’s clean but the wind is howling at 40 km/h.

There’s a gap in truly good surf from the afternoon of the 23rd of August all the way to the end of the outlook. A few mornings are okay, but nothing stands out like that first week.

The bottom line: Tuesday the 18th of August morning is the clear winner. Big, clean, long-period groundswell. Saturday the 22nd of August morning is a close second for the glassy, clean conditions. Get on it.

- Rusty

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