Banna Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The outlook for Banna Strand is a bit of a tough one, to be honest. We’ve got a long stretch ahead where the surf just isn’t cooperating, but there’s a little glimmer of hope if you’re willing to wait.

Right now, from Sunday the 19th of July, it’s all small and messy. For the first week, through to the 25th, we’re looking at tiny waves, mostly around 1.0ft to 2ft, with a bit of cross-shore wind that’s just not making it pretty. The combined swell energy is weak, sitting between 12 and 102, so there’s hardly any push. The water temperature is 65° – that’s much warmer than usual for this time of year, a proper anomaly of 5°, so it’s a nice dip if you’re just floating, but not for surfing.

Towards the end of that first week, on Friday the 24th, the swell starts to pick up a little, reaching 3ft in the afternoon, but it’s coming from the NW with a cross-on wind. The energy climbs to 102, but it’s still poor. Saturday the 25th sees a bit more size, up to 5ft by the afternoon, with a period of 11 seconds and a solid energy reading of 462. That’s a moderate groundswell, but the wind is cross-on, so it’s choppy and messy. Not really worth paddling out for.

The next week, from Sunday the 26th through to Thursday the 31st, is a bit of a mixed bag. The swell sticks around 5ft to 7ft, with energy jumping up to 720 on Monday the 27th, but the wind stays cross-on. That Monday morning, the 27th, we get a score of 1 out of 10, meaning it’s marginal at best. The swell is 6ft from the NW, period of 10 seconds, but the wind is WSW at 15 km/h – it’s just not clean. The setup is a sandbar, exposed to the west, so it’s taking a lot of that onshore energy. Honestly, with the wind and chop, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than a proper paddle session.

Tuesday the 28th is the biggest of the run, with swell hitting 12ft in the morning and 10ft in the afternoon, period 11 seconds, and combined energy hitting 2586 and 2401 respectively. That’s strong to very strong wave energy, but it’s a fresh cross-on wind at 30 km/h. This is only for experts, and even then, the conditions are lumpy and poor. Definitely not a beginner’s day.

Now, the one standout… and I mean the only one that looks decent, is Saturday the 1st of August. On the morning of that Saturday, we get a nice window. The swell is 5ft from the WNW, period of 9 seconds, and the wind is from the NNE at 10 km/h, which is cross-offshore. The wave comment says “expect good surf conditions” and it’s the only time in the whole 16 days we get a score of 2 out of 10. The wind is light, the surf is clean, and the combined energy is 326 – moderate. The water temperature anomaly isn’t given for that day, but given the earlier readings, it’s likely still warm. That Saturday morning is your best bet, but it’s a long way off, so keep an eye on the forecasts. The afternoon of that same day gets messy again with cross-on wind, so it’s a short window.

After that, from Sunday the 2nd of August, it drops back down to small, weak surf, with energy below 170, and the wind is back to being cross-shore. It’s a quiet end to the period.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a write-off. The second week has some size but messy conditions, with a single highlight on the morning of Saturday the 1st of August. If you’re patient, that’s the one to aim for. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game. The gap of poor surf from the start through to the 25th is noticeable, but forecasts can change. Keep the faith.

Rusty.

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