Turtles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, gather round.

Let's talk Turtles. It's a pretty classic advanced reef set-up, wide open to the swell, and what we really want is that SSW direction to line up with its optimum. We've got a bit of a waiting game on our hands, though. The water is sitting at a balmy 72°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year—nothing weird there.

The next week and a bit is a bit of a frustrating watch. There's swell in the water, but the wind is a pain. Monday morning the 14th kicks things off with a solid 6ft of WSW swell at a very long 15 seconds (1742 combined energy), but that moderate cross-shore chop is putting a bit of a crinkle on it. That score is a bit of a tease. From Monday arvo right through to the end of Friday the 18th, it’s pretty grim. Fresh breezes and cross-onshore winds are just wrecking what could be decent waves. Tuesday the 15th has a clean 7ft on the charts, but 35 km/h cross-shore winds make for lumpy, ugly conditions. That's a no-go.

We finally get a flicker of hope on the morning of Saturday the 19th. It's not perfect, with a moderate cross-shore breeze and some chop, but the swell jumps to a heavy 10ft from the WSW at a very long 16 seconds (3684 combined energy). That’s a serious amount of water moving. It's a demanding wave for experts only at that size—definitely not for beginners, and probably a bit too much grunt for most on that reef.

The real standout, the one to mark on your calendar, looks like the morning of Thursday the 24th. It's a bit further out, so keep an eye on it, but the stars nearly line up. You’ve got a 7ft SW swell at a punchy 13 seconds (1729 combined energy) with a clean, cross-off wind. That’s the first time in a while we’ll see a proper wall. The afternoon gets messy again, but that morning window has "go" written all over it. Expect crowds, this one has a reputation.

After that, it's back to battling the onshores. Saturday the 26th packs a monstrous 10ft swell with a very long 19-second period (7282 combined energy), but with a strong 30 km/h cross-onshore wind, that's pure chaos and a hard pass for a paddle board. That one is kite-surf territory all the way. The last chance in the window is Monday morning the 28th. The swell drops back to 5ft (1294 combined energy) and the wind is just a light breeze, but it’s still cross-onshore. It'll be bumpy and a bit of a mission, but for the desperate and the skilled, there might be a few sneaky ones.

So, to be straight with you: this is a tough run for Turtles. The waves are there, but the wind is the enemy for most of it. Circle the 24th of September. That's your best bet for a clean session.

- Rusty

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