Vetchs Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

First off, I’ve gotta be straight with you – looking at this 16-day window, it’s a real mixed bag. We’ve got some swell on the way, but the wind is going to be a persistent headache for most of it. The pick of the whole period, if the stars align, is looking like the morning of Friday the 18th, but we’ve got a lot of chop and junk to wade through before we get there.

The only spot on the radar is Vetchs Reef. This is a rarely breaks reef setup, so when it’s on, it’s a special thing. The water temp is sitting at 70°, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no need to dig out the thick rubber just yet.

We kick off on Wednesday the 9th with a choppy, cross-onshore mess. A 6ft ENE swell with a short 7-second period, and wind howling at 15-18 mph from the NE. This is a write-off. The combined swell energy is a moderate 307, but with that wind, it’s all chop. That pattern holds through Thursday the 10th – same story, bigger swell (7ft) but still messy.

Friday the 11th sees a bit of a drop in size, down to 4ft, but the wind swings around to a clean cross-off from the SSW. The energy is weaker at 194, but at least the surface will be clean. It’s a small day, but surfable. Saturday the 12th goes tiny and onshore, with 3-3ft swell from the east. Hardly worth paddling out.

Sunday the 13th afternoon brings a jump in size to 7ft from the ENE, but it’s a cross-onshore chop with fresh energy (557). It’s a marginal one, maybe a sneaky wave if you’re keen. Monday the 14th is a full-blown blowout – 10ft to 12ft of swell, but the wind is hitting 28-37 mph from the NE. That’s a kite-surfing day, not a paddle day. The energy is massive (1783), but it’s just too gnarly.

Tuesday the 15th afternoon is a glimmer: 5ft E swell, glassy light wind from the ESE at only 3 mph. The energy is moderate (313). This is a real chance for a clean session if the tide lines up. Thursday the 17th looks clean again with a cross-off wind, but the swell is small at 3ft.

Now, here’s the standout. Friday the 18th morning. We’ve got a 8ft SE groundswell, with a 10-second period, pushing a strong energy of 1530. The wind is a clean cross-off from the SSW. That’s a serious combo for a reef break. This is going to be heavy, powerful, and clean. This is for experienced surfers only – 8ft is big, and the reef won’t forgive mistakes. It’s the best on offer by a long shot.

Saturday the 19th holds the size at 8ft from the SE, and the period goes long to 12 seconds. The energy is massive (1942). The morning is glassy with an onshore ESE breeze at 6 mph, but the afternoon gets messy with cross-onshore wind. The long period will make it line up nicely on the reef, but it’s a powerful, full-on day.

The rest of the run into the 20th and 21st drops off in size and quality, with wind and chop taking over again. The morning of Thursday the 24th looks promising with a 6ft NE swell, light cross-shore wind, and a moderate energy of 629. It’s a marginal call, but could be fun.

So, bottom line: Friday the 18th morning is the one to circle. It’s the biggest, cleanest, and most powerful day in the whole run. The rest is a lot of waiting.

Rusty.

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