Whites Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s shaping up for Whites Reef over the next couple of weeks.

We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag ahead, but it's not all doom and gloom. The water’s sitting at a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, coming in at 59°F with a positive anomaly of 2°F. That’s a nice little bonus for the first few sessions.

Right now, things are looking pretty average. We’ve got 7ft of SW swell hitting the reef on Thursday morning, but with a moderate 16 mph onshore breeze from the west, it’s going to be a bit of a mess. The combined swell energy is pumping at 1895, so there’s plenty of power out there, but the conditions aren’t doing it any favours. The whole first run of days from Thursday through most of next week is a bit of a washout with persistent onshore winds and lumpy, choppy seas. Expect a long stretch of nothing much worth paddling out for.

Now, let’s talk about the real highlight. Monday, August 17th is the standout window. The morning starts clean with light 9 mph offshore breezes from the northeast, grooming up some 3ft SW groundswell. But the real gem is the afternoon session, with a beautiful 4ft SW swell, clean 9 mph offshore winds from the east-northeast, and the combined energy sitting at a solid 580. This is the best look we get – clean, lined-up waves that’ll be perfect for an intermediate surfer. The water will still be pleasant, and the reef will be doing its thing. This is the one to circle on the calendar.

After that, we drop off a cliff. The swell backs right off into the middle of the week with tiny, weak waves and wonky winds. There’s a bit of a spike around August 27th with a 7ft SW swell, but the wind is a light cross-onshore, and while the energy is huge at 2255, the quality is marginal at best. It’s a long period groundswell, and that can make a reef like this a bit too straight and fat, or just plain messy. It’s a prospect for experts only, and even then, it’s a gamble on the tide and wind alignment.

The final few days into August 28th see a nice drop in size with clean 3ft groundswell and glassy conditions from a light northerly breeze. It’s a nice way to wrap things up, but nothing compared to that Monday.

So to sum it up: endure the average start, lock in Monday afternoon, August 17th for the best waves of the forecast, and keep an eye on that big late-month swell if you’re an experienced charger and don’t mind a bit of wind.

Rusty

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