Banna Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here with a look at what’s coming down the line for Banna Strand. This is a classic exposed sandbar setup that can handle a lot of west in the swell, but man, it’s a bit of a mixed bag over the next two weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got nothing really happening for the first few days. Wednesday the 2nd through Thursday the 3rd are a write-off. You’ve got waves bumping up, sure, but the wind is just trash – a cross-onshore mess with poor surf conditions. No point even looking at it.

Friday the 4th brings a real beast of a swell – we’re talking 12ft to 13ft WNW groundswell rolling in, with a period over 12 seconds and combined energy readings over 4700. That’s serious power, but the wind is howling onshore at 18-19 mph. For a beach break like Banna, that’s going to be a washing machine. Only for the absolute experts, and even then, it’s going to be a battle. Honestly, that setup looks more like a kite-surfing day than a paddle-surfing one.

Now, Saturday the 5th is the standout. The morning is where it’s at. The swell drops to a solid 8ft from the WNW with an 11-second period, which is still proper. But the wind is a light cross-offshore breeze from the SSE at 6 mph. That makes it clean, and the combined energy is a meaty 1199. This is excellent for experienced surfers – good, solid walls on the sandbar with a groomed face. The afternoon gets a bit choppy again, so hit it early.

After that, we go into a sloppy phase. Sunday the 6th drops right off, and then Monday and Tuesday of the following week (the 7th and 8th) are a mix of onshore winds and messy conditions. We get another pulse on Tuesday morning the 8th – a 8ft WNW swell with glassy, light offshore wind (3 mph from the WSW). That’s promising, but the combined energy is moderate (963) and the conditions are described as “marginal,” so it’s a gamble. Worth a look, but don’t get your hopes up too high.

The rest of that week (9th–12th September) is just a cycle of cross/onshore winds and fluctuating swell sizes. Nothing clean enough to get excited about. There’s some size on the 9th and again on the 12th, but the wind always seems to be ruining it. The water feels about average for early September here.

But then, we get a late-saving grace. Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th. On the Wednesday morning, we have a 6ft WSW groundswell (11-second period) with a light offshore breeze from the NE (6 mph). The combined energy is a solid 836, and the wave comment literally says “expect very good surf conditions.” It’s clean with that light wind.

And then Thursday the 17th morning might be the best kept secret. We’re looking at a 5ft WSW swell, but the wind is glass – 3 mph from the ESE. That’s about as perfect as it gets for groomed waves. The combined energy is lower (363) so it won’t have the same power, but if you want fun, clean, shoulder-high waves without a breath of wind, that’s your window.

So, to wrap it up: the big winner is Saturday morning the 5th for size, power, and clean conditions. The second pick, if you want a smaller, glassy, long-period ride, is Thursday morning the 17th. The rest of the period has a lot of waiting around.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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