Vetchs Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The outlook for this region is a grim one, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. We’ve got a reef break that’s a true diamond in the rough, but for the entire 16-day window, it’s just not cooperating. The first few days are a write-off with poor surf conditions, and that pattern just keeps going. There’s really only one spot that gets any kind of mention, and it’s a tough one to get working.

The only break on the table is Vetchs Reef. This is an advanced-level reef break that rarely breaks, so you know the stakes are high. The water temperature is sitting at 69°, which is about 1° below the norm for this time of year – nothing to write home about, just average for the season.

From Saturday the 5th through to Wednesday the 9th, the conditions are just plain ugly. We’re looking at small, weak swell with a combined energy barely hitting 48 in the morning, and the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, keeping things choppy and messy. The swell is tiny, coming from the east, with a short period of 8 to 10 seconds. There’s no surfable energy here.

Then, from Tuesday the 8th into Wednesday the 9th, the swell tries to build. We get a pulse of 5 ft to 10 ft from the east-northeast, and the combined energy jumps up to a strong 950. But the wind is a fresh cross-onshore, hammering it, making it lumpy and blown-out. The period is short, only 6 to 8 seconds, so it’s just a messy, wind-affected chop. The waves are there, but the quality is gone. On Wednesday the 9th, the swell hits 10 ft, period at 8 seconds, and energy at 950. That’s a lot of water, but it’s a messy, cross-onshore mess. For a reef, that’s a wild, dangerous combo. This is expert-only, and even then, it’s not going to be pretty.

Thursday the 10th is the closest we get to a window. The swell drops to 7 ft, still from the east-northeast, with a period of 8 seconds and energy at 581. The wind goes light and onshore in the morning, and then light cross-onshore in the afternoon. The forecast says “marginal,” and that’s the best we get. The size is solid, but the wind and period are just not cooperating. It’s a glimmer, but not a green light.

From Friday the 11th right through to the end of the window on the 20th, it’s back to poor surf conditions. The swell drops off, the wind is messy, and the energy is weak. There are a few days with a clean offshore flow from the south, but the swell is too small – 3 ft to 3 ft – and the period is short. It’s like a tease.

The real kicker is that this spot rarely breaks, and when it does, the wind is almost always wrong. For the entire 16 days, there is no standout, no glorious day. The best you can hope for is a marginal session on Thursday the 10th, with 7 ft waves and light wind, but it’s a gamble. If you’re an expert and you’re desperate, you might paddle out for a look, but the quality won’t be there. The energy is moderate to strong, but the wind is just never your friend.

Because of the consistent poor quality and strong onshore winds on the bigger days, this setup honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s a tough stretch for the region.

Hang in there, but this one’s a wash.

Rusty.

Read more