Banna Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Banna Strand has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a bit of a mixed bag. The water’s sitting at a touch warmer than normal for late August, about 64°, which is a nice little anomaly to have. The first few days are more about quantity than quality, but there’s a proper standout tucked away in the second week.

Thursday, August 27th kicks things off with some small, clean surf. Morning sees a 3ft WNW swell with a light cross-offshore breeze, making for surfable waves even if the conditions are a bit ordinary. The combined energy is moderate at 121. The real gem of the day is the Thursday afternoon session. The wind goes completely glassy, and we get a 3ft WNW swell. It’s small, no doubt, but glassy conditions are rare gold. The energy drops to 90 (weak), so it’s a longboard or a funboard kind of wave, but you’ll have it to yourself if the crowds are quiet.

Friday, August 28th through to Monday, August 31st are poor. Onshore winds ruin everything. Swell picks up a bit on Sunday and Monday—4ft to 6ft—but with onshore and cross-onshore wind, it’s messy and bumpy. Not worth the paddle.

Tuesday, September 1st and Wednesday, September 2nd are also a write-off. Strong cross-onshore winds and a 19 mph cross-shore on Wednesday afternoon make for lumpy, choppy crap. The 3ft on Wednesday morning is clean but tiny and weak (energy of 96).

Thursday, September 3rd stays poor with moderate cross-onshore wind and a 5ft to 5ft W swell. Just not happening.

Now, Friday, September 4th is where things get interesting, but not for the faint-hearted. We see a big jump in swell energy—1974 (very strong)—with an 8ft WNW groundswell and a long 13-second period. But the 25 mph onshore wind kills it. For standard paddle surfing, this is going to be a washing machine. The combined energy and size make this look more like a serious kiteboarding day. The swell is well over 8ft, so experts only if you’re silly enough to try.

The Standout: Saturday, September 5th. This is the one to circle. Conditions look fantastic. We've got a 6ft NW groundswell (10-second period, moderate-strong energy at 808) with a light 9 mph offshore breeze. The wind state is "gentle offshore and clean". That’s a recipe for proper, lined-up waves at Banna Strand. It’s a sandbar setup, so that long-period groundswell might make it a little straight, but with offshore wind, it should be holding its shape nicely. The morning is the pick of it, with the afternoon still very good with a 5ft W swell and the same clean offshore wind. This is a solid intermediate session.

Sunday, September 6th through Monday, September 7th slip back into poor or marginal conditions thanks to onshore winds and a fresh breeze.

Tuesday, September 8th is another sleeper hit. The morning is glassy again, with a 5ft W swell and a 10-second period. That’s a 525 (moderate-strong energy) wave with zero wind. Expect very good surf conditions. The afternoon stays clean with a light cross-offshore breeze and a 6ft swell. If you missed the Saturday, this is the back-up plan.

Wednesday, September 9th and Thursday, September 10th are a step down. The swell sticks around, but onshore and cross-shore winds bring chop back into the picture. Marginal at best.

The final outlook from Friday, September 11th onward is a firm no-go. Strong winds and a drop in swell make for a flat, blown-out end to the forecast.

To sum it up: the next few days are small and ordinary. Your two best windows are Saturday, September 5th (the standout for the whole period) and the morning of Tuesday, September 8th. Get on it, because the long-range stuff after that looks uncertain.

Rusty.

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