Whites Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let's talk about what's coming up for Whites Reef.

Right off the bat, it's a bit of a slow start. We've got a bit of a bump in the water on Friday the 31st, but with a cross-shore wind and only 3ft of swell, it's not worth paddling out for. The energy is weak (199) and the conditions are just messy. The vibe improves a touch on Saturday the 1st of August. The morning looks clean with a solid 3ft of swell from the SW and a cross-offshore breeze. The swell period is a very long 17 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. That long period means the waves will have plenty of energy (588) and shape, but at a reef break like this, it could be lining up beautifully. The afternoon sees the swell jump to 4ft with a 16-second period, but the wind swings cross-shore, adding a bit of chop. Still, Saturday morning is the first real window.

Sunday the 2nd keeps the clean conditions with a cross-offshore wind, but the swell drops a little to 4ft. The energy is still solid (749) and the period is long at 16 seconds. It's a good, clean, consistent day for an intermediate surfer. Then we hit a wall. From Monday the 3rd through to the end of the first week, the wind is either onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell gets lumpy and choppy. Even when the swell picks up to 6ft on Monday, the onshore wind (1218 energy) makes it a complete mess. There's a small window on Friday the 7th of August that looks promising. The morning has a clean 3ft from the SW with a cross-offshore breeze, and the afternoon gets even better. The wind goes light and cross-offshore, with a 3ft swell from the WSW and a very respectable 14-second period. The energy (550) is moderate, and the conditions are described as "very good." That afternoon session on Friday the 7th is the standout of the first week.

The second week is a mixed bag. Saturday the 8th is clean but tiny, with only 2ft to 2ft of swell. The real action kicks off around Sunday the 9th of August. The swell jumps to 4ft with a 16-second period (749 energy) and a clean cross-offshore wind, but it's blowing a fresh 35 km/h. It'll be clean, but the wind is strong. Monday the 10th gets bigger, with 5ft of swell, but the onshore wind ruins it. The real standout for the second week looks like Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th of August. The swell holds steady at 5ft to 6ft from the SW with a very long period of 18 to 19 seconds. The wind is light, keeping it just on the side of clean. The energy is very strong, with values over 1600. This is a big, powerful, long-period groundswell. At Whites Reef, that could be a proper session, but the wind is still a slight cross-onshore, so it's not perfect. The best bet of the second week is the afternoon of Thursday the 13th, with 6ft of SW swell and a 19-second period, and the lightest wind of that window. The energy is massive (2017), so expect some serious power. This is only for experienced surfers, as 6ft with that period is a lot of water moving.

The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual to report there.

Whites Reef is a fairly consistent reef break, so when the conditions line up, it can fire. But with the onshore wind forecast for much of this period, a lot of the bigger swells will be blown out. The best windows are Saturday morning the 1st of August, Friday afternoon the 7th of August, and the afternoon of Thursday the 13th of August. Keep an eye on that Thursday session; it's a long way out, but it has the potential to be the best of the bunch if the wind holds.

Rusty out.

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