Anse Bougainville Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for this stretch. Honestly, it’s a tough one. We’ve got a 16-day window ahead, but don’t go getting your hopes up for clean, rideable waves. The whole forecast period is a bit of a write-off for paddle surfing, with nothing but poor surf conditions flagged for every single session. That’s a long gap to swallow, but I’ll walk you through what’s happening.

The first recommendation is for Anse Bougainville, starting Sunday, 26 July. It’s a consistent reef break, exposed to the swell, with an optimum swell direction out of the SE. The water is sitting at 81°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s about 3° above average. But the news ain’t good. On Sunday morning, we’ve got a 3ft swell from the ESE, with a short period of 8 seconds, and a moderate cross-on breeze from the S at 16 mph. The combined energy is weak (330), and it’s choppy and messy. Sunday afternoon is no better – still 3ft, cross-on, with a risk of thunderstorms. The wind stays onshore or cross-on for the entire stretch, with fresh to moderate breezes from the SSE or SE, gusting up to 22 mph.

From Monday 27 July through to Monday 10 August, the swell actually builds. By Wednesday 30 July, we’re looking at 7ft from the SE, with a period of 8 seconds, and onshore winds at 22 mph, giving us moderate wave energy (767). It gets bigger, hitting 7ft and 8ft by early August, but the wind never lets up – it’s always onshore, ranging from 12 to 22 mph. The energy picks up, reaching 1530 by Thursday 6 August, which is strong, but with that wind and short period, it’s just a blown-out, bumpy mess. The swell direction swings from SE to SSE to SSW, and later in the second week, there’s a long-period groundswell of 14 seconds on 5 August, with energy hitting 1472. That’s promising for power, but with fresh onshore winds at 19 mph, it’s still a no-go for clean waves.

The standout period, if you can call it that, is around 5 and 6 August, when the swell gets up to 8ft and the period hits 14 seconds. That’s expert-level size and very long period, which would normally be a dream at a reef break like Anse Bougainville, but the wind is just too strong and onshore. The combined energy is strong (1383 to 1530), but the poor surf quality is relentless. For a beach or reef setup, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the strong cross-onshore winds and consistent swell.

There are no standouts. Every single session is marked as poor surf conditions with a score of 0. If you’re a beginner, steer clear – the swell is over 5ft through much of the period, and over 8ft for a couple of days, which is expert-only. The crowds are noted as “sometimes” at Anse Bougainville, but with conditions this bad, you’ll have it to yourself. It’s a bleak run, but for this area, a blank stretch like this isn’t unusual. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye out, but right now, I’d leave the board at home.

Rusty

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