Anse Bougainville Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this outlook for the next couple of weeks is a tough one to write. I’ve looked over the charts for our region, and honestly, there’s not a single session that’s worth paddling out for. The whole 16-day window is a blank run. Every single period from Sunday the 16th of August right through to Monday the 31st of August is rated as poor surf conditions. That’s a long, quiet stretch.

The main issue is that the wind is relentless. It’s coming from the southeast almost constantly, and it’s howling onshore at 15 mph to 25 mph. That’s blowing straight into the break, tearing the surface apart. There’s no let-up, no glassy morning window to sneak in. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so at least you won’t freeze waiting for a set that never comes.

Now, there is swell energy moving through, but it’s all wasted. You’ll see moderate combined energy values like 1022 and 1329 (moderate) early on, and even some strong values like 1878 (strong) later in the month, but it doesn’t matter. The waves are coming in from the southeast, which is the wrong direction for this reef setup at Anse Bougainville. It’s a consistent spot, but with the wind and the angle, it’s just a messy, blown-out chop. Swell heights bounce between 3 ft and 8 ft, but with short periods under 8 seconds and onshore wind, it’s just a washing machine. For the weekend of the 30th and 31st, the swell gets up to 8 ft, but with a strong breeze, that’s strictly for experts only – and even they’d be fighting a losing battle.

This kind of blank run is more normal for the area when the trades lock in. The only positive I can give you is that forecasts can change, and it tends not to stay this grim forever. But right now, leave the boards in the van. There’s nothing to chase.

Rusty

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