Banna Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a long stretch ahead, and I’ll be honest with you straight up – the first ten days or so are a real struggle. There’s hardly any proper surf energy on the table, and the conditions are a mess. We’re looking at a major gap in quality until the 25th of July.

The Overall Pattern

The first part of this forecast is a write-off for decent waves. We’re talking about tiny, weak swell with poor wind alignment for days on end. It’s not until the 25th of July that we finally see some real size, but the wind is still a problem. The standout, and I mean the only real standout, is going to be the morning of Monday the 27th of July.

Banna Strand

Let’s start with what we’ve got. Banna Strand is our only break to look at. It’s an exposed sandbar, consistent, and catches a west swell. The water is 64°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a full 4° above average, so that’s a nice little bonus.

From the 17th through the 24th of July, it’s a tough watch. The swell is tiny, never getting above 4 ft, and the periods are short and weak. The combined wave energy is pathetic, often under 100 (78 on the 17th, 35 on the 18th, 86 on the 18th afternoon). The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, making it choppy and messy. There are some clean moments with cross-offshore winds, but the swell is just too small to care about. The 24th of July afternoon sees a bit of a bump with a 10-second period and energy of 89, but it’s still a cross-on mess.

Then, things change on the 25th of July. Swell jumps up to 7 ft from the NW with a solid 11-second period. The energy spikes to 936 – that’s a real jump. But, the wind is a strong cross-onshore from the SW, and it’s light rain. The waves are there, but the quality is poor. It’s a classic case of “there’s swell, but it’s not clean.” This continues through the 26th with 7 ft to 7 ft swell and energy in the 600s, but the wind stays cross-onshore from the NW. For a beach break like Banna, this is more of a drifty, blown-out mess than a classic surf session.

The Standout: Monday 27th July Morning

Now, this is the one. The morning of Monday the 27th of July is the best we’re going to see. The forecast shows a solid 10 ft swell from the WNW with a 9-second period, and the combined wave energy is a massive 1462. That’s a lot of juice. The wind is cross-onshore from the WNW, so it’s not perfect, but the note says “wind and tide favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break.” This is a heads-up. At 10 ft, this is not for beginners. It’s expert territory. The waves will be powerful and heavy. For the experienced crew, this is going to be the session to aim for. The afternoon is still 10 ft swells and energy of 1865, but the wind is still cross-on, so the morning is your window.

The 28th of July still has size, with 8 ft to 8 ft swells and energy over 1000, but the wind is still cross-onshore, and it’s considered “marginal.” By the 29th, the swell dies back to nothing, and we’re back to the flat spell.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The 25th and 26th have size but poor conditions. The 27th of July morning is the big one – a powerful, expert-level swell, but it’s the best on offer. The 28th is a distant second option. After that, it’s flat again. Don’t expect much else.

Rusty.

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