Whites Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.

We’re looking at a bit of a slow start with a few poor days before things rally. The water temp is sitting at 59° – that’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might not need the thickest wetsuit straight away.

The only break in the mix is Whites Reef, a fairly consistent reef setup that works best on a W swell. The swell direction coming in is mostly SW, which doesn’t match that optimum, so we’re not getting the best angle for this spot. The crowd situation can get busy too, so keep that in mind if you’re looking for a quiet paddle.

Thursday August 6th is a write-off. The swell is tiny at 2ft, 16-second period – that’s long period but the wind is messy, cross-shore with a cross-chop, and energy is weak at 166 (moderate). Nothing for the surfer here.

Friday August 7th is the standout. Morning and afternoon both have clean, cross-off winds with a gentle to light breeze. Swell picks up to 3-4ft from the SW, with a solid 15-second period and combined energy jumping up to 698 (moderate). This is good reef swell – long period, lined-up waves, though it could be a little straight at the beach but here on the reef it’ll set up nicely. This is the best on offer in the whole forecast. Get in the water.

Saturday August 8th and Sunday August 9th drop back. Swell holds around 2-3ft but the wind gets strong – 30 km/h – and the quality fades. Still clean Saturday morning but the energy drops. Not worth chasing.

Monday August 10th has a bit of size – 5ft in the morning with a very long 17-second period and strong combined energy at 1545 (moderate to strong). But the wind is cross and the surf is marginal. Afternoon gets blown onshore. Tread carefully.

From Tuesday August 11th through to Friday August 21st, the pattern is messy. Swell sizes jump around from 3ft to 10ft, with some serious energy spikes (5763 on Thursday August 13th!), but the wind is almost always cross, cross-on, or onshore, often fresh to strong. The breaks that do have clean wind (like Sunday August 16th morning) show 4ft, 14-second SW swell, light offshore from the SE, and combined energy of 528 (moderate). That’s a good window – clean, smaller, but totally rideable. Sunday August 16th morning is your second best call, especially if you miss the Friday.

Monday August 17th onward is patchy. Some clean cross-off mornings but the swell is modest (3-4ft) and the energy is only moderate. The forecasts get less certain the further out we go, so keep an eye on the wind charts if you’re planning for the 19th or 20th.

Summing up: Friday August 7th is the clear winner – clean, moderate sized, long period SW swell, light winds. Sunday August 16th morning is a good backup. The rest of the window is either blown out or too small to get excited about. This reef needs the right wind, and when it gets it, it’s worth the drive.

Rusty.

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