Bawa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. We’ve got a solid run of swell on the way for Bawa, a reef and point set-up that loves a good SW groundswell. The water temperature is sitting at 86°F right now, which is about 2°F warmer than usual for this time of year—nothing crazy, but you’ll notice it’s a touch balmier than normal.

The overall pattern is a long, drawn-out pulse of SSW to SW groundswell, building in energy as the week goes on. The first real standout window hits us on Thursday morning, September 3rd. We’ve got a clean 5 ft SW swell at 15 seconds, with a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNE at 6 mph. The combined energy is punching in at 1058, which is solid moderate energy. The water is glassy, the lines are clean, and it’s a very consistent spot—this is the kind of morning that makes you skip work. That said, it’s advanced-level surf, so if you’re not comfortable on a steep face, give it a miss.

Thursday afternoon is looking glassy too, with a light W wind at 3 mph, and the swell holds at 5 ft from the SW, period dropping slightly to 14 seconds. Still very good, but the morning has the edge.

Friday morning, September 4th, is another cracker: 4 ft from the SSW at 13 seconds, with a clean offshore N wind at 6 mph. Energy is 689—still moderate, but the shape will be good. This is a great option for experienced surfers who want a slightly less intimidating wave than Thursday.

Saturday and Sunday (September 5th and 6th) take a hit. The wind swings SE to SSE, bringing cross-on conditions and choppy, messy surf. The swell drops to 3 ft–4 ft, and while the period is long (17 seconds), the onshore wind and weak energy (around 746–1133) make it marginal. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those days.

Now, here’s where it gets really interesting. From Tuesday morning, September 8th, the swell starts to build again. Tuesday morning is glassy, with a 4 ft SSW swell at 18 seconds—very long period groundswell. The energy jumps to 1166, and the wind is a flat calm from the east at 3 mph. The combination of glassy conditions and a long-period swell at a reef and point means the waves will be well-shaped, with plenty of power and clean walls. You’ll get longer waits between sets, but it’s worth it.

The real standout, though, is across Thursday and Friday, September 10th and 11th. Thursday morning is glassy again, 5 ft SSW at 16 seconds, energy 1444, and the wind is light from the ESE at 3 mph. The swell pushes to 5 ft in the afternoon with the same glassy wind, and energy rockets to 1748. These are the best waves of the first week—clean, powerful, and consistent. For experienced surfers, this is a no-brainer.

Friday morning, September 11th, holds 6 ft SSW at 16 seconds, but the wind picks up to a moderate WNW at 12 mph, cross-offshore. It’s still clean, but the energy is 1773—very strong. The afternoon deteriorates with a cross-on wind, so go early.

The second week (September 13th to 18th) has a series of promising windows. Sunday, September 13th, is glassy both morning and afternoon with 4 ft SW swell at 18 seconds, energy around 1700–1764. That’s a long, clean, powerful groundswell. Monday, September 14th, morning is glassy again with 5 ft SSW at 18 seconds, energy 2351—strong to very strong. The afternoon gets a bit bumpy with a cross-shore wind and the swell bumps to 7 ft, which is only for experts.

Tuesday, September 15th, morning is a standout in the second week: offshore NNW wind at 3 mph, 7 ft SSW at 16 seconds, energy 2360. That’s big, powerful, and clean—but only for very experienced surfers. The rest of the week holds clean conditions through to Friday, September 18th, with swell sizes between 4 ft and 7 ft, and winds staying light to offshore. The best of the late run looks like Thursday, September 17th, afternoon: 7 ft SSW at 17 seconds, cross-offshore wind, energy 2492. That’s a proper wave.

One thing to note: the later standouts (September 13th onwards) are promising but less certain. Still, the signs are good.

Bottom line: if you’re an experienced surfer, the first Thursday and Friday (September 10th and 11th) are your best bet for clean, powerful surf. The Sunday and Monday after (September 13th and 14th) are also excellent backups. Crowds are possible at Bawa—it’s a spot that can get busy, so factor that in.

Rusty out.

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