Banana Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at this stretch.

To be straight with you, the next 16 days aren’t shaping up to be anything special. We’ve got a lot of small, wind-affected swells rolling through, and most of the time the conditions are just ordinary or poor. There’s a big gap of nothing really worth paddling out for from the start, so don’t expect much in the first week or so.

The only real standout that might put a smile on your face is Banana Point (a point break). It’s fairly consistent, exposed to the swell, and it likes a swell from the NW – which is exactly what we’ve got. The water temperature is sitting at 72°, which is about 2° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s a bit of a bonus, feels a touch more like summer.

The best chance to get something decent is on Wednesday, 26 August. The morning is a write-off, but by the afternoon, the swell picks up to 4 ft from the NNW with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 326, which is a moderate kick of energy. The wind is light and onshore, but the wave comment says it’s marginal, so it’s not a classic. Still, it’s the biggest push we get.

If you’re after something cleaner, the morning of Thursday, 27 August has a 3 ft NW swell with a light cross-offshore breeze from the south at 6 mph. The conditions are clean, and the energy is 78 – weak, but it’s surfable. It’s an option if you’re desperate for a small wave.

Look, the crowds are listed as “often” at Banana Point, so expect some company, especially on the better days. The consistency is fairly consistent, so there are waves around, just not much quality.

The real problem is the wind. It’s mostly cross-on or onshore, and the swells are short period (mostly 8 seconds or less), so the waves lack punch and shape. It’s a frustrating run. For the rest of the period, the best you’ll get is a few mornings with clean conditions but tiny waves, like the 3 ft on Friday, 28 August morning, or the 3 ft on Saturday, 29 August morning. Both are clear with light cross-off winds, but the energy is just 122-127, so it’s weak.

Later on, Monday, 31 August morning has a 3 ft NW swell with a light cross-off and clean conditions, but again, it’s ordinary. The Tuesday, 1 September morning is glassy with a 4 ft NW swell – that’s about as good as it gets for the second week, but it’s still just “surfable but very ordinary”.

To be honest, this is a poor run. If you’re a kite surfer, the afternoons with stronger onshore winds and choppy conditions might be more interesting than paddle surfing. Especially on Thursday, 20 August afternoon, when the wind hits 16 mph from the NW, cross-on, with a 4 ft swell – that’s a kite session, not a surf session.

Hang in there, but don’t hold your breath. The forecast can always change, but right now, it’s a struggle.

Rusty.

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