Anse Bougainville Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this stretch of coast is copping a rough run. Looking at the charts for Anse Bougainville, we’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead, but honestly, it’s a battle with the wind. A steady fresh onshore breeze from the SE and SSE is going to mess up the surface for almost the entire period. The water temp is sitting at 81°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a bit of comfort if you’re keen for a paddle.

From Monday the 27th of July right through to at least the 3rd of August, the swell is pumping in at 5 ft to 7 ft, and the combined energy is moderate to strong (442 to 914), but it’s all coming in with a short, choppy period of 6 to 9 seconds. That onshore wind is relentless, making it lumpy and poor. There’s really nothing to recommend here. The wind eases slightly on the 2nd of August to a moderate breeze, and the swell drops to 2 ft, but it’s a long-period 18-second groundswell – that’s usually better for points and reefs, but with the wind still on it, it’s not going to save the day.

The first half of the second week, from the 4th of August, the swell picks back up to 6 ft to 8 ft, and we see a risk of thunderstorms on the 4th and 6th. The wind stays stubbornly onshore. The combined energy gets into the strong range (over 900) on the 6th, hitting 959, and the swell height is 8 ft – that’s starting to get into expert territory for size, but with the wind and short period (8-9 seconds), it’s just a messy, blown-out affair.

The standout period, if you can call it that, is around the 7th and 8th of August. On the 7th, we’ve got 8 ft swell from the SE with a combined energy of 1012 (very strong), but the period is still only 9 seconds. The morning of the 8th sees a cross-onshore wind, which is a little better than straight onshore, and the swell holds at 8 ft with a period of 10 seconds. The energy is still very strong at 1110. This is big, powerful, and messy – really only for the experienced crew on a big board, and even then, it’s going to be a fight. The wind shifts back to onshore in the afternoon. After that, it stays big and windy through the 9th, 10th, and 11th of August, with swell heights of 6 ft to 8 ft and energy staying strong (947 to 1380). The wind is still a fresh onshore, so clean waves are not on the menu.

The bottom line, folks? There’s no good surf on offer in this 16-day window. The constant onshore wind and short-period swell make for poor conditions every single day. If you’re desperate, the 7th and 8th of August have the most size and power, but it’s a full-on, expert-only situation with a lumpy surface. For everyone else, it’s a good time to check the kitesurfing forecast, because this setup looks more interesting for kites than paddle surfing.

Rusty.

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