Banna Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. This is Rusty, looking ahead at the next couple of weeks for Banna Strand.

Right off the bat, I’ve got to be straight with you – this outlook is a tough one. We’re in for a long stretch of pretty ordinary conditions before anything decent shows up. From now, starting Saturday the 25th of July, right through to the end of the month, the surf is just not happening. The swell shows up, sure, but the wind is a mess. On Saturday morning we’ve got a 6ft swell from the WNW with a short period of 8 seconds, but that 12 mph onshore wind from the WSW just trashes it. By Saturday afternoon, the swell bumps up to 8ft from the NW with a bit better period at 10 seconds and the combined energy jumps to 1192 (moderate to strong), but still, that onshore wind ruins it. Sunday the 26th sees the biggest raw swell of this whole period – 10ft from the WNW, period 10 seconds, energy at 1424 – but it’s cross-onshore at 16 mph, so it’s choppy and poor. That size is also getting into expert-only territory for a beach break like this, but the wind kills any chance anyway.

We then slide into a flat, weak pattern. Monday through to the end of the month, the swell drops below 7ft, the period is short (8-9 seconds), and the wind is either cross or cross-onshore. There’s a brief moment on Thursday the 30th where the wind goes glassy in the morning, but the swell is only 2ft with a 7-second period – tiny and weak, combined energy just 57. Not worth paddling out for. Friday the 31st of July morning is the first time we get a hint of something clean, with a light cross-offshore breeze and a 4ft NW swell, but the period is still short at 8 seconds and the energy is low. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

We then hit another gap. From the 1st of August right through to the 3rd, it’s back to tiny, weak, choppy conditions. Swell under 3ft, periods of 6-7 seconds. Not much to get excited about.

Now, here’s where we get a glimmer of hope. On Tuesday the 4th of August, we finally see something worth a mention. The morning session brings a 5ft swell from the WSW with a 10-second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the NNE at 6 mph. It’s clean. The combined energy is 446 (moderate). It’s not huge, but it’s the best-looking conditions we’ve seen in over a week. For an intermediate surfer, this is the pick of the early part of the forecast.

But hold on – Wednesday the 5th of August morning is a real standout, but only for the brave. We’ve got a solid 12ft swell from the west, period 10 seconds, and the combined energy is a massive 2224 (strong). The wind is cross-shore from the north at 16 mph, so it’ll be lumpy and powerful. This swell is too big for beginners and most intermediates – this is expert territory only. The forecast notes it might be too big for this break, so respect the ocean if you’re eyeing it off.

After that, we drop back down. Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th are marginal, with 3-5ft swells and light winds, but nothing clean enough to get excited about. Saturday the 8th of August morning is glassy but tiny (2ft), and Sunday the 9th of August morning is also glassy with a 2ft swell from the west, period 9 seconds, energy at 104. Surfable but very weak.

So, to wrap it up: if you’ve got patience, Tuesday the 4th of August morning is your best bet for a clean, manageable session. Wednesday the 5th of August is the big-wave day for experts only, but the wind won’t make it perfect. The rest of this 16-day window is mostly a write-off. Keep an eye on the forecasts – things can change, but this stretch looks like a lot of waiting around.

Rusty.

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