Boneyards Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, I'm Rusty, and I've been staring at the charts for Boneyards, and it's a proper mixed bag, a real rollercoaster ride. We've got plenty of swell on the way, but the wind gods are going to make us work for it. Let's get into it.

The water is sitting at 59°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, so you'll want a thick wetsuit, maybe even a hood.

Right now, and through the first few days of the period, the swell is building, but the conditions are just average. We’re looking at a 3 to 4 ft WSW swell with a solid 13-second period on Wednesday the 9th, and it's clean with a cross-off breeze, so you could get a few, but the energy is weak (325). It improves a bit on Thursday the 10th with a clean 8 ft SW swell (moderate wave energy, 2590) but again, that cross-off wind isn't ideal. It's surfable, but not the standout.

Then things get interesting, but gnarly. From Friday the 11th through Saturday the 12th, a proper groundswell fills in, hitting 8 ft with a very long 16-second period on Saturday afternoon, and the wave energy is strong (3612). The catch? It's blowing an absolute gale offshore—25 to 31 mph from the SE. That makes for a clean face, but paddling back out will be a mission. This is strictly for the experts with a death wish; beginners and most intermediates should sit this one out.

Sunday the 13th sees the swell pulse drop back to a more manageable 7 ft from the SW (14-second period), but the wind swings onshore, making things a little choppy. Not great, just okay.

We then hit a dead zone. From Monday the 14th through to Tuesday the 15th, the wind is up and the waves are messy, with a strong cross-onshore making a mess of things. It’s not worth paddling out for a paddle surfer, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Now, for the real standout. Mark your calendars for Wednesday the 16th of September. We get a solid 13 ft SW groundswell from the south-west, with a 14-second period and massive wave energy (6583). The wind is a clean cross-off from the south-east. This is a big, powerful day for experienced surfers only. It will be too big for beginners, and over 8 ft it's only for experts. If you’ve got the skills and the big wave board, this is the one. The long period swell (15 seconds) from the previous days suggests it could be a bit straight at the beach, but at a reef like Boneyards, it should hold up nicely. Expect good crowds though, as this spot is sometimes busy.

After that big pulse, it settles down. Thursday the 17th is blown out by near gale offshore winds again, but by Friday the 18th, things are looking sweet. A clean 3 ft to 4 ft swell from the WSW (11-12 seconds) with gentle to moderate offshore winds makes for a much more user-friendly session for all levels. Wave energy is weak (334-347), but the conditions will be excellent.

Another pulse shows up on Saturday the 19th with a 8 ft to 8 ft SW swell (15-16 seconds), but the wind is cross-shore and cross-on, so it'll be lumpy. Not the best.

The final call for the period is on Thursday the 24th of September. After a long run of average conditions, we get a glassy 4 ft SW swell (16 seconds) in the morning with 996 wave energy. That’s a beautiful, clean morning for a long-period groundswell. The afternoon cleans up to 5 ft with a light cross-off breeze, making for excellent conditions for experienced surfers. This is the second standout for the fortnight. It’s a long way off, so take it with a grain of salt, but it looks promising.

So, to sum it up: the absolute best bet is Wednesday the 16th for the big wave crew, and Thursday the 24th for everyone else looking for clean, solid waves. The rest is a lot of waiting and watching.

Rusty.

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