Vetchs Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. I’m looking at Vetchs Reef – a tricky little reef setup, advanced only and rarely breaks. The water’s sitting at about 68°, which is a bit colder than we’d expect for early September.

Honestly, the whole 16-day window looks pretty bleak, with a big empty patch right through the middle. The first few days – Thursday the 3rd through to Saturday the 5th – are a write-off. Thursday morning has a 4ft cross-shore ENE swell with a short period of 8 seconds, combined energy at 244 (moderate), but the wind is a moderate breeze from the north, and it’s messy with a cross-chop. By the afternoon the swell bumps to 7ft but the wind swings to a fresh cross-onshore at 18 mph from the NE, making it lumpy and poor. Scores are zero across the board.

Friday the 4th is even worse: risk of thunderstorms, a 2ft swell with strong southerly winds at 22 mph sending the combined energy down to 134. The afternoon brings 2ft E swell, period 10 seconds, but a strong breeze from the south at 25 mph – messy cross-chop. Forget it.

Saturday the 5th stays poor: 2ft waves in the morning with light cross-onshore ENE wind at 6 mph, but the swell is weak (71). The afternoon has a 3ft E swell with an onshore breeze at 9 mph – small and weak (170) energy.

We get some glimmers on Sunday the 6th. The morning is light rain with a 4ft E swell, period 9 seconds, and light onshore ENE wind at 9 mph – still not clean, combined energy 196. The afternoon sees the same swell height and direction, but the wind drops to 6 mph from the ENE, still onshore. The combined energy climbs to 273, and the forecast calls it marginal. That’s the only day that registers a score of 1 out of 10, but with onshore wind and poor surf quality noted, it’s hardly a standout.

Monday the 7th through Wednesday the 9th are all cross-onshore and lumpy. Swells build to 8ft on Tuesday afternoon with combined energy hitting 726 (strong), but the wind is a fresh NE breeze at 18 mph. The waves are powerful but ugly. This would be for experts only due to size, but the wind ruins it. Thursday the 10th is marginal again: a 6ft ENE swell with a light cross-onshore SSE wind at 6 mph in the morning gives combined energy 358 (moderate), and the afternoon has a 6ft swell with a gentle cross-shore SSE breeze at 9 mph at 409 energy. Still not clean enough for a recommendation.

Then we hit a dead zone. From Friday the 11th through Monday the 14th, wave heights drop to 1ft to 3ft, combined energy falls below 200, and the wind is light to moderate onshore or cross-onshore. Scores are all zero. That’s four days of nothing.

Tuesday the 15th sees a pulse: a 8ft NE swell in the morning, period 7 seconds, combined energy 551 (strong), but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore NE breeze at 22 mph. The afternoon hits 8ft with 865 energy – the biggest reading of the window – but again, fresh cross-onshore wind makes it lumpy and poor. Another one for experts only, but the conditions are awful.

From Wednesday the 16th onward, it fades again. Swells drop to 3ft or less, energy dips below 130, and the wind stays fresh onshore. The only clean conditions pop up Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th, but with waves barely 2ft and combined energy below 51, there’s no surf to speak of.

There’s no standout day in this window. The best bet would be Sunday the 6th afternoon for a tiny chance at a 4ft wave with light wind, but it’s marginal at best. Otherwise, this reef is a no-go. It’s a rare-breaking spot and the forecast confirms why.

Rusty.

Read more