Banna Strand Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the action is focused on one spot, Banna Strand. It’s a consistent sandbar set-up that’s exposed to the west, so it picks up a lot of what’s coming in. The water is currently a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 64°F.

The start of the period is a bit of a write-off, I won’t lie. Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th are just poor surf conditions with tiny swell and onshore winds. We’re looking at a few days of frustration before anything even gets close to worth a paddle.

The first real glimmer comes on Saturday morning, 8th August. It’s still marginal with a 5ft swell from the WNW, but the cross-shore wind from the south at 9 mph is the best we’ve seen. The combined energy is moderate, and it’s the only time in the first week that doesn’t have a straight-on wind ruining it.

Sunday morning the 9th is also worth a mention, with a clean 4ft swell from the WNW and light onshore winds. The energy is moderate, but the wind is light enough that it might clean up. It’s still a “marginal” call, so keep your expectations in check.

The standout – and I mean the only real standout in this whole run – is probably the morning of Tuesday the 11th. We’ve got a tiny 2ft swell from the W, but the wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSE at 6 mph. The wave comment says "clean," and for a sandbar, that’s a big deal. It’s small, but it’ll be glassy and fun on a longboard. The combined energy is weak, so don’t expect power, just clean little lines.

After that, the pattern gets messy again. The second week of the outlook is a bit of a washout. Swell picks up in size but the wind is almost always onshore or cross-onshore, trashing the quality. By Monday the 17th, we get a 7ft swell from the NW with a fresh 19 mph onshore wind – that’s blown out and messy. That one’s more for the experts if anyone’s brave enough, but the wind is ruining it.

The biggest pulse comes on Wednesday the 19th, with an 8ft WNW swell and a period of 11 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, a lot of energy, but it’s also got a 16 mph onshore wind. A beach break like Banna Strand with that much onshore wind is going to be a washing machine. Maybe one for the kite surfers, not for a paddle.

So, looking at the whole 16 days, there’s not much to get excited about. The best bet is that Tuesday morning 11th for a clean, small session. Other than that, it’s a lot of onshore wind and poor conditions. Hopefully the forecast shifts, but for now, keep your hopes low.

Rusty.

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