Vetchs Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gonna be straight with you – this forecast is a tough one to write. We’ve got a rare spot, Vetchs Reef, that’s in the frame, but it’s a very specific setup.

The window opens Wednesday morning, the 12th of August, with some swell on the way, but it’s a messy start. The first few days are a write-off thanks to cross-onshore winds chopping up the surface. That swell energy is moderate at 626, but the ESE swell at 6ft and a 9-second period just isn’t going to punch through the wind. It’s a bit of a frustrating wait.

Thursday the 13th morning is where it gets interesting. The wind swings to a light SSW cross-off, going clean, and we’ve got a 6ft ESE swell, period 9 seconds, with a combined energy of 419. This is the only real window of quality in the near term. The water temp is sitting at 71°, pretty much normal for this time of year. For a reef that’s “rarely breaks,” having it clean and with a decent pulse is a bit of magic. But remember, this is an advanced spot, and it’s “sometimes” crowded, so don’t expect to have it to yourself.

After that brief hope, the wind goes back to the NE, and from Friday the 14th right through to the end of the third week, it’s a long, drawn-out stretch of poor surf. The energy drops from moderate to weak, and the swell just gets smaller and choppier. There’s a solid 7-day gap with no real recommendations.

Toward the end of the month, around Tuesday the 25th of August, the wind finally turns clean again with a cross-off, but the swell is weak and short-period, barely getting a pulse. The 26th and 27th flirt with some marginal conditions, but the wind is either onshore or cross-shore, keeping it from being a standout.

So, the one true standout here is Thursday the 13th of August, early morning at Vetchs Reef. With a 6ft ESE groundswell and that clean SSW breeze, it’s the only time the stars align. It’s not big, but for a reef that rarely cranks, that’s the one to circle on the calendar. Everything else is a pass.

Stay patient, and keep an eye on those forecasts.

Rusty.

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