Whites Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty comin' to you from the shores. Let's have a look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up.

First up, we’ve got Whites Reef as the only game in town. This spot is a reef break, fairly consistent, and it's got a pretty good track record when the conditions line up. The water temp is sittin' around 58°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so nothin' to get weird about there.

The overall pattern? We've got a bit of a wait. The first real bit of decent action is on Monday the 31st of August. Monday morning is gonna be absolute glass – 4 ft of long-period SW groundswell (15 seconds) rollin' in with a N wind at only 3 mph, glassy as a mirror. The combined energy is a solid 800 (moderate), but with that period and wind, the waves will have shape and power. This is the standout of the whole run. You'll get clean, lined-up waves. Keep an eye on crowds though, this place can get crowded on a day like this.

Monday afternoon drops off a little. The swell bumps up a touch to 4 ft, but the wind turns cross with an SSE breeze. It’s still surfable, but the glassy perfection is gone. The combined energy jumps to 1393 (moderate-to-strong) with a 17 second period, which is a very long groundswell. At a reef break, this can be magic, but the cross-shore ripples will make it a bit messy.

Now, from Tuesday the 1st of September right through Saturday the 6th of September, we’re in a tough spot. The wind goes onshore, cross-onshore, or howling cross. Sizes range from 3 ft to a whopping 8 ft with combined energy up to 3719 (strong), but it’s all blown out. The window on Sunday the 6th of September morning offers a little hope – 6 ft of SW groundswell with a clean cross-offshore breeze from the N at 16 mph. The combined energy is 1643 (moderate-to-strong). It’s marginal, but the cleanest it’s gonna be in that stretch.

Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th are a write-off again with strong, lumpy onshore winds, even though swell hits 8 ft and energy soars to 6803 (very strong). For a reef break with that much onshore energy, the words "kitesurfing" come to mind more than "paddle surfing".

We start to see a recovery on Wednesday the 9th of September. The wind eases to a gentle cross-onshore SSW at 9 mph. The swell is still a healthy 7 ft with a 17 second period (very long groundswell), and the combined energy is 2155 (strong). It’s still a bit bumpy, but it’s getting there. By Wednesday afternoon, the wind drops even lighter, and the size drops to 6 ft with energy at 1474.

The real sweet spot for the second week looks to be Saturday the 12th of September morning. It’s small, only 3 ft of SW swell, but the wind is a clean cross-offshore SE breeze at 9 mph. The combined energy is low at 415 (weak), and the period is 14 seconds (solid groundswell). For a smaller board or a longboard, this will be clean and fun.

Sunday the 13th of September morning looks even cleaner but smaller – 2 ft with a cross-offshore N wind at 6 mph. Glassy conditions, but you’re gonna need a log.

After that, from Monday the 14th of September onward, the wind turns onshore again and the swell drops right off to 2 ft. It’s a flat, choppy end to the run.

So, the verdict? The absolute best of the bunch is without a doubt Monday the 31st of August morning at Whites Reef. Get out there early for that glassy 4 ft groundswell. The other tiny window of clean, small surf is Saturday the 12th of September morning.

Rusty, signing off.

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