Turtles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

We’ve got our eyes on Turtles, a reef break that’s pretty exposed and picks up swell from the SSW. The water is sitting at 73°, about 1° warmer than usual for this time of year, so nothing crazy, just a touch of summer warmth still hanging around.

Right from the get-go, Wednesday the 26th starts off a bit messy. The morning has a 5ft SW swell with a clean WNW breeze, but the energy is strong (1124) and the conditions are just marginal. The afternoon gets worse – a 7ft WSW swell, a 16-second period, and a direct onshore wind from the W at 12 mph. That’s a write-off.

Thursday the 27th is a frustrating one. The swell bumps up to 8ft from the WSW with a 16-second period. That’s a lot of energy (3705 in the morning), but it’s coming in with a 15-18 mph south wind putting a cross-chop on the faces. The period is long enough to suggest some real power, but the wind is just ruining it. By Friday the 28th, the swell is still a solid 8ft from the SW, but the wind is a fresh cross-offshore from the SSE at 18 mph. It’s clean, but the scoring is still low – it’s a tricky one.

Saturday the 29th sees the swell drop to 5ft, and the morning is clean with a gentle cross-offshore breeze, but the energy is down. Another day of marginal surf.

Now, here’s the standout. Sunday the 30th. The morning is looking like a little slice of paradise. The swell is 6ft from the WSW with a 17-second period, and the wind is glassy – a 3 mph WNW breeze. That’s a clean, glassy surface with a powerful groundswell running. The energy is very strong (1978). For an experienced surfer who knows Turtles, this is the moment. The long period means the waves will have real shape and punch, but at a reef, that’s a good thing. It’s the best on offer in the whole window. The afternoon stays 6ft with a 18-second period, but the wind switches onshore, so the morning is the call.

The first week of September is a real mixed bag. Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st have a 7ft and 6ft WSW swell, but the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore and choppy. The energy is still high, but the quality isn’t there. Wednesday the 2nd through Friday the 4th sees the swell drop a bit, with the wind switching around the SSE and SE, keeping things clean but the waves are smaller and marginal. The energy drops to moderate levels.

Then we get a second pulse. Saturday the 5th of September morning has a 6ft SW swell with a 15-second period and a clean cross-offshore breeze from the ESE at 12 mph. The energy is moderate-strong (1617). It’s a solid option for a Saturday morning, but not the standout.

The real big stuff comes back on Monday the 7th of September. The morning has a 4ft WSW swell with a 20-second period, which is a very long period, but the energy is high (2011). That’s a weird combo – a small wave with a deep ocean pulse. Then the afternoon absolutely cranks: a 8ft WSW swell with an 18-second period and energy of 3310. The wind is a fresh cross-onshore, though, so it’s messy. That’s a lot of power, but the wind will make it lumpy.

Tuesday the 8th of September morning is a tease. A 7ft WSW swell with a 16-second period, and the wind is a light cross-onshore from the WSW at just 3 mph. Almost perfect, but the wind is straight on it. The energy is 2640. If that wind had been offshore, this would have been the second true standout.

The final few days, from the 9th to the 10th of September, see the swell building again. By Thursday the 10th, we’re looking at 8ft swells from the SW and WSW with 15-16 second periods and very strong energy (3540 in the morning). But the wind is a fresh cross-shore, making it lumpy. Too big for beginners, and the chop will make it a challenge for everyone.

To sum it up: the real one to point your board at is Sunday morning, the 30th of August at Turtles. Glassy, 6ft of long-period groundswell, powerful energy. That’s the one. The second week has some promising pulses, especially the 7th and 8th of September, but the wind is always going to be a factor. The crowds are “often” here, so expect some company on that Sunday morning session.

Rusty.

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