Banna Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Rightio, grab a coffee and have a listen. The next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve got a small window of clean, small surf right at the start, then it all goes a bit messy before a serious pulse of big, powerful groundswell shows up in the first week of September. The real standout is going to be that big swell, but it’s not for everyone.

We’ll start with Banna Strand. Tuesday afternoon, the 25th of August, is your first chance to get wet. The water’s a touch warmer than normal at 64°, which is nice. We’ve got a clean, waist-high wave rolling in at 3 ft from the west with a nice 9-second period. The combined swell energy is a moderate 127, and with a light ESE breeze keeping it glassy, it’s honestly perfect for a longboard. The conditions are clean, but very ordinary.

Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th are a write-off, really. The swell drops right off and the wind gets messy. We see a tiny bump Thursday morning – 3 ft from the WNW with a clean cross-offshore wind, but the period is a short 9 seconds and the overall energy is still only moderate at 158. It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about.

Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th are a total loss. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore, the swell is weak and short-period, and you’d be better off doing something else. Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st are equally grim, with fresh onshore winds and choppy, lumpy conditions.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. On Tuesday the 1st of September, a proper pulse of swell arrives. It’s big, it’s powerful, and it’s raw. Tuesday afternoon sees 7 ft from the west with the combined energy hitting a strong 781. The problem? The wind is howling onshore from the WNW at 16 mph, making it a mess. It’s not for paddling.

But Wednesday the 2nd of September is where we find the best option for experienced surfers. The morning shows 5 ft from the west, with a long 9-second period and an energy reading of 619. The wind is a cross-shore from the SSW at 9 mph, so it’s lumpy but rideable. It’s a “marginal” call, but it’s the best of a rough week.

Then, from Thursday the 3rd of September through to Friday the 4th, we get a monster. Thursday afternoon has a solid 12 ft from the WNW, with a very long 12-second period and an enormous energy reading of 3459. The wind is a gentle cross-onshore from the WSW. The data says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. If you’re an expert, this is your window. The wave quality will be there, but it’s raw, powerful, and deep. For everyone else, stay on the beach.

The following week from the 5th of September onward is just poor, with strong winds and deteriorating conditions. The only glimmer is Sunday the 6th of September morning: 5 ft from the west, a clean cross-offshore breeze from the SSE, and a moderate 400 energy reading. It’s described as “expect good surf conditions,” so it could be a nice, clean session before the wind picks up in the afternoon.

So, to sum it up: the best surf is for the brave and experienced on Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th of September. That’s the real standout – a big, powerful, groundswell for experts only. The small clean stuff on Tuesday the 25th of August is the other one for the longboard crew. The rest is just waiting for the conditions to line up.

Rusty.

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