Baya Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming for Baya Reef over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, Friday the 21st of August is the standout session you’ll want to circle. We’ve got a solid 7ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a very long 17-second period, and the wind is glassy out of the SSW at just 3 mph. The water’s sitting at 82°, which is about a degree warmer than usual for this time of year – feels nice. The combined energy is pumping hard at 3080, setting up some excellent, powerful lines for experienced surfers. This is a reef break, so with that long period, the waves will be well-shaped and jacking up nicely. The only downside? Crowds can be a thing here sometimes, so get in early.

Friday afternoon the wind swings cross-shore and picks up to 16 mph, and the swell bumps to 8ft, but the cross-chop messes it up. The energy is still massive at 3002, but it’s not clean. Saturday morning is smaller at 7ft, still cross-shore, and the energy drops to 1880 – still fun but nowhere near as clean as Friday morning. From Saturday afternoon right through the rest of August, it’s a bit of a struggle. The wind stays cross-shore and fresh, with lumpy conditions and energy dropping through the 1000s and below. The swell hangs around 3ft to 6ft, but the quality is just marginal or poor. There’s a long stretch here where it’s not really worth paddling out.

Thursday the 27th afternoon sees a spike in size again – 8ft, 18-second period, energy at 3478 – but the cross-shore wind is 22 mph, so it’s going to be a messy, lumpy affair. That pattern continues into Friday the 28th morning: 7ft, 16-second period, 2259 energy, but still cross-shore wind. The potential is there, but the wind just won’t cooperate.

Then we get a little glimmer on Monday the 31st of August morning. The swell is only 4ft, but the period is a solid 17 seconds, and for the first time in a while, the wind goes cross-offshore out of the SE at 12 mph. The conditions are clean, energy is 1312 – a much better bet for a smooth session, even if the size is modest.

Looking into the first week of September, the standout looks like Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning session has 7ft SSW swell at 19 seconds, with gentle cross-shore wind at 9 mph. The energy is a huge 3409, and the score is the highest we’ve seen in the later part of the forecast. This is a powerful, long-period groundswell hitting the reef – it’s going to be a proper wave, but again, cross-shore wind keeps it from being perfect. After that, the swell slowly fades into the 4ft to 5ft range through the 5th of September, with light to moderate cross-shore winds and dropping energy. It’s rideable, but nothing to get too excited about.

Overall, your best bet is Friday the 21st of August morning – that glassy, very long-period swell is a true winner for experienced surfers. The next promising window is Tuesday the 1st of September morning for a powerful, though slightly wind-affected, session. The middle of the period is a write-off.

- Rusty

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