Anse Bougainville Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

The short version is this: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for getting a proper wave. The wind is going to be your main enemy, with onshore conditions just about the whole time. There’s swell, but it’s going to be a messy, blown-out affair. You’re gonna have to pick your moments, and even then, it’s not going to be pretty.

Looking at our only real option here, Anse Bougainville, it’s a reef break that’s exposed to the southeast. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no drama there. But the wind is the story. We’ve got a strong SE breeze blowing straight onshore for the first part of the run, which is going to make everything lumpy and hard to ride.

The first real window of surf is Wednesday morning, but it’s a write-off. We’ve got 6ft of SE swell with a period of 9 seconds, but that onshore wind is just going to destroy it. The wave energy is moderate at 578, but it’s not going to be any fun. The afternoon sees a bit more size at 7ft, but it’s the same story.

Things get bigger, but not better, through Thursday and into Friday. The swell pushes up to 10ft on Thursday morning, and the energy ramps up to a strong 1511. That’s a lot of water moving, but with that 25 mph onshore wind, it’s going to be a washing machine. This is well over 8ft, so this is expert-only territory, and even they will be battling the wind. The period is around 10 seconds, which is average, but the onshores will chop it up. This is the kind of day that’s more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers.

The weekend and into next week keeps the same pattern. We’re looking at 8ft to 8ft of SE swell, with fresh onshore winds. The energy stays moderate to strong, but the quality is just poor. The period is still in that 9-10 second range, so nothing too special there. It’s a real grind of wind and waves.

There’s a slight let-up in the wind around the middle of next week, on Wednesday the 13th, but the swell also backs off to 5ft. The wind is still onshore, but it’s dropping to 19 mph. It’s not going to be clean, but it might be slightly less of a battle. The energy is still moderate at 727.

The swell tries to pick up again on Friday the 14th, with 8ft on the cards, but again, the wind is there to ruin it. It’s the same old story.

By the following weekend, the 16th and 17th of August, the wind finally drops to a more moderate 12 mph. The swell drops right off, too. We’ve got some long-period energy from the south on the 17th, with an 18-second period, but the height is only 3ft. It’s a long-period groundswell, which is good for a reef like this, but there’s just not enough size to make it worth the paddle. The energy is moderate at 1024, but the waves will be small and inconsistent.

After that, it’s back to small, weak surf with more onshore wind. The last few days of the run are just a boring, blown-out mess. There’s really nothing here that stands out as a “go” day. The whole 16-day window is a write-off. The swell is there, but the wind is just relentless. It’s one of those stretches where you’d be better off doing something else.

This is a reef break that’s usually consistent, so a blank run like this is more about the conditions than the spot itself. Forecasts can change, but as it stands, keep the board in the car and the wax in the bag.

Rusty.

Read more