Surf Forecasts:
Bawa surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 18 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 15s period, SSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 19 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 17s period, SSW swell with 2,404 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 18 Sep, 10AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 15s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Bawa this week:
The surf forecast for Bawa over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bawa in the next 16 days are 2.1m 17s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 19) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (WIB) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Fri 18th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Fri 18th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 15s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Sat 19th Sep) | 7ft (2.1m) 17s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bawa over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right off the bat, Bawa’s got some push in the water, but the next few days are going to test your patience. The water’s a warm 86°F, which is about normal for late September, so a thin suit will do.
Wednesday’s rough—onshore winds, storm risk, and a 5ft SSW swell at 14 seconds. The energy’s moderate (1274), but it’s messy. Thursday’s a bit bigger at 6ft, but still onshore, so it’s lumpy.
Then Friday morning—that’s the first real window. The wind drops to glassy, zero mph, and you’ve got a clean 5ft SSW swell at 15 seconds. The energy’s moderate (1184), but clean conditions make it magic. This is for the experienced crew—Bawa’s a reef and point setup that’s very consistent, and that long-period groundswell will be peeling nicely. The afternoon gets a light cross-on breeze, so morning is the call.
Saturday sees the swell jump to 6-7ft, but the onshore wind and storm risk will have it choppy. Sunday’s similar—7ft but cross-onshore, so it’s not clean. Monday and Tuesday ease off, dropping to 4ft by Tuesday morning, but the wind stays cross-onshore.
Now, the back end of the window is where it gets serious. Wednesday the 30th is glassy again, with a clean 4-5ft SSW swell at 13 seconds. The energy’s weak (791), but the quality is there. Then Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th are the standouts—we’re looking at 8ft SSW swells with periods of 18 to 20 seconds. That’s very long period groundswell, carrying strong energy (3931 to 4878). The wind is light, so it’s going to be big and powerful. This is strictly for experts—over 8ft is serious territory. The long period might make it a bit walled at times, but on a reef and point, it should hold its line.
The 1st of October has a smaller 3-4ft swell but a huge 20-second period, so there’s still some glide, though the cross-onshore breeze will be a factor.
Crowds could be a problem, especially on the standout days—Bawa gets busy when it fires. If you’re comfortable in heavy water, the 26th and 27th are the ones to mark. That’s a long-range call though, so don’t book your flights just yet—check back closer to the day. The 24th and 25th are pretty flat and poor, so plan around that.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 25mm), heaviest during Wed afternoon. Warm (max 28°C on Wed night, min 26°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Warm (max 28°C on Mon morning, min 26°C on Sat afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | Tuesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 19 | SSW 18 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1057 | 1072 | 1130 | 1813 | 1361 | 1257 | 1083 | 796 | 672 | 1033 | 2378 | 2290 | 2178 | 2049 | 1127 | 1175 | 969 | 722 | 499 | 795 | 1245 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 9:00PM0.69m | 8:47AM0.45m | 9:36PM0.62m | 9:03AM0.39m | 10:23PM0.56m | 9:05AM0.33m | 11:47PM0.51m | 1:57AM0.52m | 3:36PM0.32m | 3:15AM0.57m | 4:12PM0.40m | 3:59AM0.63m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 2:11PM0.06m | 3:14AM0.18m | 2:35PM0.09m | 3:55AM0.23m | 2:59PM0.14m | 5:03AM0.29m | 3:26PM0.19m | 4:15PM0.25m | 10:23AM0.23m | 7:43PM0.28m | 10:31AM0.19m | 9:18PM0.25m | |||||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  |  | | | | |  | | | |  | |  | | | | |
 | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | — | 6:29 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:27 | — | — | 6:25 | — |
mm | 8 | 8 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
Feels °C | 28 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 31 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 18 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 18 |
| kJ | 1057 | 1072 | 1130 | 1813 | 1361 | 1257 | 1083 | 796 | 672 | 1033 | 2378 | 2290 | 2178 | 2049 | 1127 | 1175 | 969 | 722 | 499 | 522 | 1245 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 20 | SW 20 | W 10 | W 9 | S 6 | S 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | SSW 14 | W 8 | S 6 | S 6 | S 6 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | SSW 19 | S 12 |
| kJ | 100 | 186 | 92 | 103 | 49 | 35 | 70 | 70 | 330 | 515 | 64 | 30 | 30 | 23 | 605 | 350 | 322 | 246 | 180 | 795 | 347 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SW 18 | W 15 | W 9 | W 8 | S 6 | S 7 | WNW 8 | W 8 | S 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | NW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 19 | WNW 8 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 13 | 13 | 255 | 4 | 78 | 50 | 31 | 23 | 49 | 71 | 16 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 18 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 319 | 22 | 167 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 6 | S 6 | S 7 | S 5 | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 7 | — | — | SSE 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 104 | 146 | 104 | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | — | — | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 139 | 138 | 138 | 138 | 138 | 15 | 0 | 37 | 138 | 15 | 138 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Nias | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Indonesia | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Bawa Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Bawa provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Bawa can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Bawa surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Bawa) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Bawa may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Nias? If you are looking for accommodation near Bawa, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Nias, consider staying in Afia which is 67 km (42 miles) away.
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