Whites Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's dig into what we've got in the water for the next couple of weeks. It's a slow start, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Right off the bat, Thursday the 20th, it's ugly. A 3ft west swell is there, but that WNW wind is blowing at 15 mph, cross-onshore, just tearing the surface to bits. Total write-off. The water's at 58°, which is about a degree warmer than average for this time of year – nothing special.

Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd, the swell builds, hitting 4ft to 5ft from the WSW and SW, with a solid groundswell period of 14-15 seconds. But that wind just won't let up, staying cross-on or straight onshore and gusty. The combined energy is high, hitting 1110 on Saturday morning, which is powerful, but with that wind, it's just messy, choppy slop. The surf quality is poor. Honestly, this looks more like a kite-surfing session than a day for a paddle.

By Sunday the 23rd, the swell drops a bit to 4ft, and the wind eases to a 9 mph cross-shore from the NW. It's still a little messy, but the period is a nice 16 seconds. You might find a couple of clean ones if you're patient, but it's only marginal at best.

We then run into a dry spell. From Monday the 24th right through to Saturday the 29th, it's a real grind. The swell hangs between 2ft and 5ft, but the wind is just stubborn – cross-on, onshore, or just enough to keep it lumpy. The energy drops off through the week. Sunday the 30th morning is totally flat, with only 1ft and a clean offshore breeze from the ENE. Clean, but there's nothing to ride.

Now, here's the good news. Sunday afternoon, the 30th of August, the whole picture flips. That ENE wind shifts to a light cross-offshore from the ESE at 9 mph. The swell jumps to 5ft from the west, with a 10-second period. The energy bumps up to 556 (moderate). The call is for very good surf conditions – this is the clear standout of the whole forecast. Clean, glassy lines. This is the session you want to be there for.

The first week of September keeps the clean conditions going, with cross-offshore winds from the north or light airs. The morning of Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st are smaller, with 1ft to 2ft swells, but still clean. Tuesday afternoon (1st Sept) looks promising with a 2ft SW groundswell, 16-second period, and light offshore wind – good surf conditions.

We’ve got a couple more solid pulses coming in. Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd of September see a 5ft to 6ft WSW swell, with a 14-second period and cross-offshore winds. The energy is getting strong, hitting 1033 to 1057. The surf is still clean, and with that long period, a reef like Whites Reef could hold it together nicely. It's rated marginal in the data, but with that wind and size, there will be some punchy, well-shaped waves for the intermediate crew.

Then there's a bit of a big one on Friday the 4th of September. The swell pushes up to 6ft from the SW, with a 16-second period and a massive 1611 combined energy (very strong). But the wind swings onshore from the WSW. That kind of power with onshore wind will just be a blown-out mess – strictly for the experts, and probably not worth the paddle-out.

So, the real winner here is that Sunday the 30th of August afternoon. Clean, fun-sized, and a proper little window of quality. The first half of the run is mostly a waste of time, so save your energy for the end of August and start of September. It'll come good.

Rusty.

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