Turtles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright surfers, Rusty here. We’ve got a mixed bag coming in over the next couple of weeks at Turtles. A lot of this window is going to be frustrating, with solid swell getting trashed by nasty winds, but there are a couple of absolute gems hidden in there for those who can wait.

The opening is messy. We start on Wednesday the 26th of August with a clean morning, but don’t get too excited. There’s a 5ft SW swell rolling in with weak energy (1124) and a light WNW wind on it, but the surf report flags it as marginal. By the afternoon, the swell bumps up to 7ft from the WSW with a very long 16-second period (groundswell), and the west wind jumps to 25 km/h on it. It’s a write-off. Thursday the 27th is worse – a solid 10ft WSW swell but with 30 km/h south cross-shore winds creating lumpy cross-chop. This is expert-only stuff, and even then, it’s ugly. Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th see the swell drop back but the wind stays unreliable, keeping things mostly poor.

Then we get a tease. On Sunday the 30th of August, the morning looks like the best bet of the first week. The swell is a clean 6ft from the WSW with a 17-second period (2001 combined energy), and the wind goes glassy – dead calm from the WNW at just 5 km/h. That’s a rare moment where Turtles will be clean and lined up, and the report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” This is the standout of the first stretch, but it’s a short window. By Sunday afternoon, the onshore wind returns and kills it.

The following week is a grind. Monday the 31st through to Saturday the 5th of September is a frustrating run. There’s always some swell in the 5ft to 7ft range, mostly from the WSW, but the wind is stuck in a cross or cross-on pattern, often hitting 30-35 km/h. A few mornings like Tuesday 1st and Friday 4th have clean conditions with a cross-off breeze, but the reports still call them marginal. It’s a waiting game.

Now, here’s the real payoff. After a long stretch of average, Tuesday the 8th of September lights up. The morning shows a massive 13ft WSW swell hitting the coast, with a 20-second period and very strong wave energy (8847). That is a huge, powerful groundswell. But what makes this a true standout is the wind: a 20 km/h offshore breeze from the east. The report grades it as “exceptional surf conditions for expert surfers.” This is a serious, heavy session for the barrel riders. At 13ft, this is only for the experienced crew. The afternoon does get messy as the wind swings cross-on, so the early session is the key.

After that, the swell hangs around but the wind goes bad again on Wednesday the 9th, and then things fade out into the second week. The 10th of September has a clean morning with a 5ft SW swell but the energy drops off. It’s a fade-out.

So, to sum it up: the glassy Sunday morning on the 30th of August is the pick of the first week for clean, fun waves. But the absolute standout, the one to circle on your calendar, is the massive offshore session on Tuesday the 8th of September. That is a premium, expert-only day at Turtles. The rest of the time, expect to be watching the wind.

Rusty.

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