Anse Bougainville Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.

First up, the water temperature is sitting at 81°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so the ocean is feeling a bit more like a bath than usual.

To be brutally honest, the outlook is grim. The entire 16-day window is a write-off for any decent surf. We’re looking at wave energy that’s mostly moderate (between 331 and 1555), but the problem is the wind. It’s hammering onshore from the SSE or SE almost non-stop, gusting at 16 mph to 22 mph, sometimes even 22 mph. That’s a fresh breeze that’s going to turn any potential wave into a messy, blown-out lump. The swell is coming from the SE, which is the optimum direction for the spot, but it doesn’t matter when the wind is ruining it.

The swell height stays mostly between 4 ft and 6 ft right through the first week, which is a decent size for intermediate surfers, but the short period of 7 to 9 seconds means it’s weak, windswell – not the kind of energy that holds up in a cross-onshore blow. There’s a brief moment on Monday 27th afternoon where the swell hits 8 ft with a gentler breeze of 9 mph, and the score hints at something marginal, but the period is still a short 8 seconds and the commentary says “marginal surf forecast.” I wouldn’t get excited.

By the time we get to the end of July and into August, the swell gets bigger – 8 ft to 8 ft from the SE on 2nd and 3rd August – and the combined energy climbs into the strong range (1200 to 1555), but the wind is still onshore or cross-onshore at 19-22 mph. That’s a recipe for big, messy, dangerous conditions. At 8 ft with that wind, it’s expert-only territory, and even then, it’s not going to be clean.

There is a brief, weird spike on the 30th afternoon where the swell drops to 2 ft but the period jumps to 18 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell, but at 2 ft and with a moderate breeze onshore, it’s hardly going to break. For a reef setup like Anse Bougainville, a long period swell like that could be interesting if the wind were offshore, but it’s not.

Honestly, if you’re looking at this window, the setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The onshore winds and consistent swell will give them something to play with, but for a surfer, it’s a blank run. There are no standout days, no clean windows, and no reason to get wet. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a hard pass.

Rusty.

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