Turtles Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what we’ve got on the cards at Turtles.

First thing you need to know – this spot is an advanced reef break, exposed to the SW swell, and it’s fairly consistent. The water temp is sitting at 72°, which is about average for the time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

The outlook starts off a bit average through this weekend, Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd. There’s some solid swell in the water – around 6ft to 6ft coming from the SW – and the period is a juicy 14 to 16 seconds, so there’s proper groundswell energy (combined energy around 2130-2305). But the wind is not playing ball. It’s cross-on and moderate, turning the surface choppy. Sunday gets a bit of a cross breeze and it’s lumpy. Not the kind of day that gets me out of bed early, honestly.

Monday the 24th shows a slight improvement in the morning. The swell eases a fraction to 6ft from the WSW, still with a nice 15-second period (energy 1430). The wind goes cross-offshore, and the report says clean. That’s a much better look, but for an advanced spot like this, the score is only marginal. The afternoon turns cross again and gets lumpy.

Tuesday the 25th morning sees the swell drop to 5ft, 13-second period, and the energy is down to 789 – moderate. Wind is cross-off again, so it’s clean, but the wave size is more on the manageable side. Could be alright for a paddle, but nothing to shout about.

Now, the standouts start appearing from late in the first week. Wednesday the 26th afternoon has a pulse of 6ft from the WSW with a *very* long period of 19 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 3084 – that’s strong wave energy. The caveat here is that a period that long can make beach breaks shut down or stand up too straight, but Turtles is a reef, so that long period groundswell is exactly what this break wants. However, the wind is cross-on and moderate, so it’s a bit messy.

Thursday the 27th is where my eyebrow goes up. Morning sees a solid 10ft from the SW, 16-second period, and the energy is 4396 – that’s very strong. Wind is cross-off and clean, but it’s blowing 25 mph. That swell is over 8ft, so it’s expert territory only. Thursday afternoon stays at 10ft, similar 16-second period, still clean but with a bit less wind. This is proper heavy, powerful surf. Not for the faint-hearted.

Friday the 28th morning offers 7ft from the SW, 14-second period, with a *strong offshore* wind at 25 mph (energy 1528). The report says it’s clean but hard to paddle into – that’s the trade-off with a strong offshore. It will hold the waves up nicely but you’ll be working for your entry. Afternoon eases off to 6ft with a more manageable cross-off breeze.

Here is the big standout – Monday the 31st of August morning. This is the best on offer. The swell is 6ft from the WSW, with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is 3076 – strong. The wind is a light cross-off breeze, meaning glassy clean conditions. The report says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s the one to circle. It’s a true standout. Turtles will be humming with that long period WSW groundswell and clean conditions. Crowds are often here, so expect company.

Sunday the 30th of August afternoon also looks really good, with 6ft from the WSW, a 19-second period, light SSE breeze, and clean (energy 2392). Another excellent window.

After that, the second week gets a bit more average. The swell runs through the 4ft to 7ft range, but the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, which messes up the quality. By the 6th of September, there’s a 6ft SW swell with a 15-second period but a strong cross wind at 25 mph – messy.

Overall: The best surf in the 16-day window is definitely Monday the 31st of August morning. Turtles will have a long period, clean, solid 6ft swell with light glassy wind. Sunday the 30th afternoon is a very close second. Thursday the 27th is for experts only with 10ft surf. The rest of the period is either wind-affected or smaller.

Rusty.

Read more