Baya Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’ve got a solid run of south swell energy heading our way, but it’s coming with a fair bit of wind. The main player is Baya Reef, and it’s going to be a persistent, long-period groundswell. The wave energy is strong to very strong, with values fluctuating but staying in the 1000 to 4500 range, so there’s plenty of push.

The water temperature is sitting pretty average for this time of year, nothing to write home about.

First up, Thursday, August 13th. We see a 8 ft swell from the south with a very long period of 17 seconds. The combined energy is a hefty 3289, but it’s a morning session only. The wind is a cross-shore from the SSE at 9 mph, which will keep it bumpy. The afternoon sees the wind pick up to 16 mph, and the surfline gets messy. The break is a reef setup, so that long period groundswell at 17 seconds will be peeling nicely, but that cross-shore is a bit of a buzzkill. The crowd factor is "sometimes", so you might have a few mates out, but it’s not a circus.

Friday, August 14th is much the same story: a 7 ft south swell, 15-second period, with a cross-shore wind. The energy is still strong at 2545. The morning is your best bet with a gentle breeze, but the afternoon gets that 16 mph wind again. This is more of a "wait for the right lull" session.

Saturday, August 15th sees a slight drop in wave height to 5 ft in the morning, but the swell direction shifts to the SSW. The period is still a juicy 17 seconds. The wind is light, only 6 mph, making for a much cleaner surface. This is the best morning of the first week. The energy is still strong at 1814. The afternoon comes in at 7 ft with a 16-second period, but the wind picks up to 12 mph, putting a chop on it.

The standout for the whole period is Wednesday, August 19th. The morning has a 8 ft SSW swell with a 18-second period. That’s a very long period groundswell, and the energy is a massive 4373. The wind is a light 6 mph breeze from the south. This is a recipe for some serious pits. The slight cross-shore from the south means the waves will be holding their shape. For a reef break, this is absolute heaven. The afternoon gets a bit bigger at 10 ft, but the wind jumps to 16 mph, making it a bit of a battle. For experts, that morning session is the one.

After that, we have a long run of 7 ft to 8 ft SSW swell through the rest of the week into the next. The second week is a bit more of a mixed bag. The wind is more persistent, and the quality is a bit more "marginal". The morning of Saturday, August 22nd has a 7 ft SSW swell with a 15-second period and a gentle 9 mph cross-shore, which is a decent call. August 25th morning has a smaller 4 ft swell but a very long 19-second period, which is interesting for a reef, but the energy is moderate.

Overall, the best bets are the mornings. If you can get out on Wednesday, August 19th, that’s your winner. The consistency is there, but the wind is the key player. For a reef break that’s exposed to the south, this is a solid run of swell, but you’ll be working for the clean ones.

Rusty.

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