Banzai Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about it.

First up, I’ve gotta level with you. Looking at Banzai (United States) for the next couple of weeks, it’s a tough stretch. There’s no good surf on offer right now, and the first glimmer of anything half-decent doesn’t show up until Thursday the 20th of August. Before that, it’s a dry spell of over a week with nothing but poor surf conditions.

From the 6th right through the 19th, it’s pretty grim. Swell is small, mostly around the 2.6ft to 5.2ft range, but it’s all coming from the southeast. That’s a bad look for Banzai, which really wants swell from the south. The wind is a constant problem too – mostly onshore or cross-onshore from the east and southeast, blowing at 6 to 16 mph. The water’s warm, sitting at 84.2° on the 6th, about average for the time of year, but you won’t be enjoying it. The combined wave energy is weak to moderate (under 400) most days, and the period is short, under 9 seconds, so it’s just messy, weak, and choppy. Not worth paddling out.

Now, the 20th of August – Thursday morning – that’s the only thing that catches my eye. We finally see a “marginal” call, scoring a 1 out of 10. Swell bumps up a touch to 4.6ft from the ESE, period still short at 7 seconds, but the combined energy hits 340, which is a moderate bump. The wind goes light from the ESE at 6 mph, and it’s onshore, but it’s a light breeze. This could clean up enough for a few close-outs, but it’s still a long way from good. If you’re desperate, it’s the only window in sight. Even then, the surf quality is questionable, and with that short period, it’ll be walled up and hard to find a proper peak.

Overall, it’s a blank run. This area doesn’t often get long flat spells, but when the wind and swell refuse to line up, this is what happens. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d leave the boards in the car for the next two weeks.

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