Asia - Palmas Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a 16-day window for Asia - Palmas, and I’ll be honest, the start is a bit of a grind. The first few days bring some size but the conditions are pretty average. The real standout action is lurking well into the second week, so patience is key.

The outlook kicks off with a solid pulse of swell on Tuesday the 18th of August. We’re looking at a 7ft SW swell, with a chunky 13-second period and a combined energy of 1475 – that’s strong wave energy. But the wind is a cross-on from the south at 9 mph, making things fairly choppy. It’s not the clean, groomed surf we’d want. The afternoon turns worse with 12 mph cross-on wind and the swell bumping up to 7ft, but it’s a messy affair. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th stay marginal. The swell holds around 7ft on Wednesday morning with a 10-second period, and the wind is directly onshore from the SSW. The energy is still strong at 1682, but the onshore wind kills the quality. The rest of the week through to the 24th sees a steady drop in swell size, dipping to 1ft by Sunday the 23rd. The period gets long – 17 seconds on Sunday morning – but with such small waves and cross-on breezes, it’s not worth paddling out for. There’s a gap of several days here with no real recommendations.

The Real Standout

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The action returns on Friday the 28th of August. The morning shows a 4ft SW swell with a 17-second period – that’s a proper groundswell, and the combined energy is 1230, solid moderate-to-strong energy. The wind is a light cross-on from the WSW at 6 mph, which is manageable. The real gem is Friday afternoon: the swell jumps to 5ft from the SW, 16-second period, and the wind goes glassy and onshore from the SW at 6 mph. The energy hits 1422. This is the best on offer. The wave state is unknown, but with an onshore wind that light, it’ll be clean. The break is fairly consistent, but crowds are possible, so keep an eye out.

Saturday the 29th of August follows up with a bigger swell: 7ft from the SW, 15-second period, and energy at 1828 – that’s strong wave energy. The wind is a light cross-on from the WNW at 6 mph. This is getting up there in size, so it’s for experienced surfers only. The afternoon holds similar size and energy, but the wind shifts to a cross-on from the WSW.

Overall, the best session is hands-down the afternoon of Friday the 28th of August. Good size, long period, and light wind. The weekend of the 29th-30th also offers decent size but the cross-on wind holds it back from being perfect. The long-range stuff on the 28th is a bit less certain than a near-term call, but it's the one to watch.

Rusty out.

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