Benete Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer at Benete over the next couple of weeks.

It’s a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. We’ve got a solid run of groundswell coming in, but the wind and tide conditions are playing games with us. The water is 80°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no need to dig out the thick steamer.

The whole forecast period is basically one long run of swell, but the quality is hit and miss. The first week is dominated by a very long-period SSW groundswell that’s pumping in serious energy. The combined energy on Saturday the 8th is a massive 3152 (moderate to strong), and it stays north of 2000 for most of the week. The problem is the wind. It’s coming from the SSE, setting up a cross or cross-onshore breeze that’s keeping things on the choppy side. The morning of Saturday the 8th sees 8ft SSW swell with a 16-second period, but it’s cross-shore with a light breeze – it’s surfable, but far from perfect. The afternoon kicks up a bit of cross-chop, and that pattern holds through Sunday and Monday.

Monday the 10th afternoon actually sees a jump in size to 10ft, but the period is a very long 18 seconds and the wind is a gentle cross-onshore, making it pretty choppy. That’s a lot of water moving around, but it’s not going to be the cleanest.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Thursday the 20th of August. The afternoon session is the best on offer in the whole 16-day window. The swell is a solid 8ft from the SW, with a 16-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 4766 (strong to very strong). The wind is light and cross-offshore from the ESE, which is going to clean it right up. The commentary says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers” – and that’s exactly what it is. Benete is a reef and point break that rarely breaks, so to have it lining up like this is a special event. The water is glassy, the lines will be long and wrapping. This is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s for advanced surfers only at this size.

The days leading up to it are marginal, but the 20th is the real deal. The 22nd of August afternoon also gets a clean cross-off wind, but the swell is smaller at 7ft, and the energy is much lower at 1946. It’s still a good wave, but not the standout.

For the second week, the 19th of August morning has a 8ft SW swell with a 17-second period and a gentle cross-shore, which could be a decent warm-up. The 21st of August is another big day with 10ft, but the wind is cross-shore, so it’ll be a bit bumpy.

Overall, if you’re waiting for perfection, the 20th of August afternoon is your window. The rest of the time, you’re fighting a bit of chop. The waves are big, but the quality is only there when that wind swings right.

Rusty.

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