Whites Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's talk about what we've got coming up at Whites Reef.

Alright, first up, the water temp at Whites Reef is sitting at 58°F with an anomaly of 2°F – so a bit warmer than what we'd usually expect for this time of year, which is a nice bonus.

The next week and a half is a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. We’ve got some solid swell pulses coming through, but the wind is going to be a real pain in the arse for a lot of it. The real standouts are going to be Friday the 11th and then a solid run from Wednesday the 16th into Monday the 21st.

Let's break it down. The first few days are pretty grim. Monday the 7th is a complete write-off with tiny 0.7m (2ft) waves from the WSW and a messy cross-shore wind. Tuesday the 8th morning has a bit more size at 1.2m (4ft) from the SW, but it's still onshore and choppy. Wednesday the 9th sees the swell jack up to 2-2.3m (7-8ft) from the SW with moderate wave energy (3490), but it's being absolutely hammered by a fresh 30 km/h (19 mph) cross-onshore. That's proper lumpy, poor quality stuff – more for a kite session than a paddle.

Thursday the 10th is only a marginal call. We've got 2-1.9m (6-6ft) SW swell (1412 to 1892 energy) but it's still cross-onshore and fairly choppy.

Now, here's where it gets good. Friday morning, 11th September. This is your first real standout. We've got a clean 1.3m (4ft) swell from the SSW with 701 moderate energy. The wind goes light offshore from the SE, just a slight air, and the wave comment says "clean." This is the one to circle. The period is 14 seconds, so it's a nice groundswell but might be a bit straight for a beach break; Whites Reef is a reef setup, so that long period will wrap in nicely.

Saturday the 12th is a drop-off. The swell backs down to 1-1.2m (4-4ft) with a messy cross-shore wind, and Sunday is even smaller with strong offshore winds that will be hard work.

Then we hit another lull. Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are poor, with small, onshore wind-affected slop. Do not bother.

Wednesday the 16th is your next big call. We've got 1.5m (5ft) of SW groundswell with strong wave energy (1126) and clean conditions with a light offshore from the SE. The wave comment says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." This is a big one, but at 1.5m (5ft) it's getting up there – if you're a beginner, it might be a bit intimidating. The swell period is 15 seconds, so it's a proper long-period groundswell that will wrap well around the reef.

Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th are messy again with strong winds, so ignore them.

Finally, we get to the best part of the outlook. Monday the 21st of September. This is the standout of the whole 16 days. We've got a solid 2.1m (7ft) SW swell with very strong wave energy (4101) hitting in the morning with light NNW cross-shore winds – marginal conditions, but the energy is there. Then Monday afternoon, the wind shifts to a light SE cross-offshore, and we get 1.9m (6ft) of clean SW swell (1744 energy). The wave comment calls it "excellent surf for experienced surfers." At 2.1m (7ft) with a 16-second period, this is serious groundswell. This is for experienced crew only on the bigger sets. Tuesday the 22nd still has size at 2-1.8m (6-6ft) but winds go cross-onshore again.

So, to sum it up: your two best windows are Friday morning, 11th September for the clean, fun-sized waves, and Monday the 21st of September for the biggest, most powerful groundswell of the period. The week in between is mostly frustrating onshore junk.

Rusty.

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