Balian Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's in store for Balian over the coming weeks.

Straight off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – this isn't a classic run for Balian. For the first week and a half, the surf is pretty average and the conditions are fighting us. We’ve got a bit of swell, but the wind is almost always from the south or southeast, keeping it messy with a cross or cross-onshore chop. The water temp is sitting at a very normal 80°F, so no surprises there. Think of it as a waiting game.

From Saturday the 12th through to the 22nd, the swell is small to modest, hanging around the 3ft to 5ft range. The energy is all over the place, from moderate to strong, but the wind just won't cooperate. The wave quality is poor or marginal, and honestly, the scores are low. It’s the kind of period where you’re better off saving your energy or doing a dawny if you're desperate. There’s a lot of cross-chop and cross-on wind, which makes the reef feel bumpy.

Now, things get a bit more interesting as we head into the last few days of September. On Tuesday the 22nd afternoon, the swell bumps up a notch to 6ft from the SSW, and the energy kicks right up. Still, the wind is cross-shore with slight chop though, so it’s not perfect. The real standout window to keep an eye on is around Friday the 25th. The morning is still messy a bit, but watch the afternoon: the wind drops right out to a light 3 mph from the southeast, leaving a light cross-shore ripple. The swell drops back to 4ft, but the period lengthens right out to a juicy 20 seconds! That’s long-period groundswell, packing a punch with a ton of energy. For a reef break like Balian, that longer period will really groom the waves and make them stand up nicely. That afternoon looks like the best bet of the whole forecast for a surfer who can handle it. The following Saturday the 26th also has some solid 7 to 7ft SSW swell, but the wind is more cross-on, so not quite as clean.

Because the wind is so often cross or cross-on, and we’re dealing with a reef that needs clean lines, this setup is not one for beginners. Swell gets over 5ft a few times, and by the 26th it’s over 7ft, so it’s getting into intermediate-to-expert territory. Also keep in mind, Balian can get crowded sometimes, especially when it's good.

Standout pick: Friday the 25th afternoon. That 20-second period SSW swell with barely any wind will be the cleanest, most lined-up surf we see. It's a long-range call, so not locked in, but it has the best potential.

Rusty.

Read more