Banzai Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey crew, Rusty here with a look at the Banzai forecast. It’s a pretty bleak picture for the next couple of weeks, so don’t get your hopes up.

Things start on Saturday, August 8th, and it’s already a bust. Onshore SE wind at 16 mph, a tiny 3 ft swell from the SE with a short 6-second period, and the wave energy is weak at 73. Just poor conditions all around.

That same story holds through Sunday, Monday, and into the middle of the week. The wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, the swell stays small and weak, and it’s just consistently rated as poor.

We do see a jump in size towards the end of the first week. By Thursday, August 13th afternoon, the swell is up to 5 ft from the SE with a 7-second period, and the energy hits a moderate 261. But the wind is still onshore at 16 mph, so it’s going to be choppy and messy.

The biggest waves of the whole forecast hit on the weekend of August 15th and 16th. On Saturday the 15th, we’re looking at 7 ft from the ESE with a 10-second period and strong energy of 830. By the afternoon, it’s 8 ft from the ESE with a 12-second period, and very strong energy at 2013. That’s a solid groundswell. But again, the wind is cross-onshore from the E at 16 mph. That size is for experts only, and with the onshore wind, it’s gonna be a battle. The direction is also off from the optimum S swell Banzai prefers.

After that big pulse, it drops off fast. Monday the 17th is small again. Tuesday the 18th morning gives us the only slight glimmer of hope – a cross-shore wind from the ENE at 9 mph, with a 6 ft swell from the SE and moderate energy of 589. The report calls it “marginal,” scoring a 2 out of 10. It’s the best it gets, and that’s not saying much. The afternoon gets bigger at 7 ft, but the wind turns cross-onshore and it’s back to a score of 1 out of 10.

From Wednesday the 19th through the end of the period on Sunday, August 23rd, it’s back to small, weak, onshore slop. Swells are mostly under 3 ft, periods are short, and energy is often below 100.

The only real window? That Tuesday morning, August 18th. The cross-shore wind and 6 ft swell is the only time things are even close to rideable. But it’s still just marginal. This is a rough stretch for Banzai. The water temp is about 85°, normal for this time of year, so at least it’ll be warm while you’re waiting for something clean to come through. Hang tight.

Rusty.

Read more