Banana Point Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what we've got coming up for Banana Point over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, my friend, it's a pretty bleak stretch for paddle surfing. The whole 16-day window is peppered with tiny swell and onshore winds, with only a few fleeting moments that might get a surfer excited, but not enough to call it good. You’re looking at a solid run of nothing special, with most days described as "poor surf conditions". We’re dealing with a persistent, weak north-west swell that rarely kicks above 2 ft, and the wind is mostly coming straight onshore from the west or north-west. The only real glimmer of hope is a couple of glassy mornings, but even then, the wave height is laughably small.

Right out of the gate, Saturday morning the 15th is a write-off. A clear sky but the wind is cross-on from the SW at 3 mph, pushing into that weak 2 ft NW swell with a short period of 9 seconds. Total energy is a measly 90, barely a ripple. The afternoon doesn't get any better, with a 9 mph onshore wind making a mess of things.

Sunday the 16th morning, though… that’s where you want to be. It’s glassy. Dead calm. The swell is still tiny at 2 ft from the NW (8 seconds), and while 2 ft is hardly a wave, it is at least perfectly clean. The energy is low at 83. For the desperate, this is your window. The afternoon sees onshore wind kill it again.

The rest of the first week follows the same pattern. Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th have glassy starts but the swell is dropping to 2 ft and 2 ft, and the energy falls through the floor to 39. By Wednesday the 19th, the wind goes cross-offshore from the NE at 6 mph, which cleans things up, but the swell has shrunk to a pathetic 1 ft. It’s barely there.

The middle of the week sees a little bump. Friday the 21st afternoon, a 4 ft NW swell rolls in with a period of only 7 seconds and a combined energy of 156. That's a moderate pulse of energy, but the period is short and lumpy, and the onshore wind at 9 mph will leave it choppy and blown out. Saturday the 22nd morning has a 3 ft swell with energy at 112, and it's glassy, but again, 3 ft with a short period is not going to offer much.

Moving into the second week, things don’t really improve. Sunday the 23rd has light cross-on winds and a 2 ft, 10-second swell (95 energy), which is slightly better period but still small. Monday the 24th has morning cross-offshore wind from the south, cleaning up a 3 ft NW swell, but energy is only 77. It's surfable but ordinary.

The real standout, if you can call it that, comes on Thursday the 27th. The morning has a south wind at 6 mph, giving us clean, cross-offshore conditions. The swell pushes to 3 ft from the NW with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 116. That’s moderate and clean, and the description says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions." For this forecast, that's about as good as it gets. The afternoon isn’t bad either, with a 3 ft swell and 155 energy, but the wind turns cross-on, so the morning is your go. Friday the 28th morning is similar—clean cross-offshore wind, 3 ft, 7 second swell, 105 energy. Again, surfable but not exciting.

The last few days into the 30th just fade away. Sunday the 30th morning is glassy with a 3 ft, 7-second NW swell, but the energy is a weak 57. It’s pretty, but you'll be fighting for scraps.

The best bet for the whole window is Banana Point on Thursday morning, August 27th. You’ll get a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the south, a 3 ft NW swell, and moderate energy (116). It’s not firing, but it’s the cleanest, most surfable you’ll see in this run. The water temperature anomaly isn't given, so I'll assume it’s about average for this time of year. It's a fairly consistent point break, but expect it to be often crowded. For a wave this small, that might mean a log line-up.

Honestly, with the constant onshores and small swell, this whole set-up is more interesting for a kite or wing than a paddle board. But if you need to get wet, aim for those glassy mornings, especially Thursday the 27th. The forecasts can change, but right now, it's a long wait for not much.

Rusty.

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