Boneyards Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, picture this. We’ve only got one spot on the cards for the next two and a half weeks: Boneyards. It’s a reef break, so it handles swell well, but it’s inconsistent, meaning it needs the right angle to fire. The whole 16-day window is built around this one location, so if the conditions line up, it’s our only game in town.

Right off the bat, Sunday the 13th is the standout. We’ve got a solid 7ft SW groundswell rolling in with a 14-second period, and the wind is light and offshore from the east in the morning. The wave energy is pumping (1665) and it’s described as excellent for experienced surfers. Afternoon goes glassy with a WNW breeze and the swell drops slightly to 6ft, but it’s still got plenty of push (1208 combined energy). This is the best we’re going to see, so if you’re experienced, don’t miss it.

After that, things get messy. Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th are a write-off with strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy conditions. Swell hangs around but the quality is poor. We then hit a long stretch from Wednesday the 16th through to the 21st where the wind cranks up from the southeast, often strong offshore or cross-off. While it keeps the faces clean, those near-gale strength winds (28-34 mph) will make paddling out a full-on battle. The swell is generally 6ft to 8ft, but the energy is high, often over 1000, and a few jumps past 1400. It’s hard work for experienced guys only, and the scores reflect that it’s marginal at best.

The next real glimmer shows up on Tuesday the 22nd. Morning brings a moderate offshore breeze, and a clean 7ft SW swell with a 14-second period and solid energy (1735). It’s flagged as excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon stays clean but the wind gets a little cross-off.

From the 23rd to the 24th, we’re looking at a building swell, hitting over 8ft and then peaking at a solid 10ft on the 24th afternoon. Combined energy soars past 5000, which is serious power. However, the wind is cross-off, keeping things clean, but at that size with that power, this is strictly for experts only on the reef. The long periods (16 seconds) mean the sets will be fat and powerful.

The final few days, from the 25th to the 28th, continue the theme: big swells, strong winds, and the quality is mixed. The 27th has a very long 17-second period SW groundswell at 8ft, but cross-off winds.

In short, there’s a bit of a gap in quality after the first day. The first week has one true golden morning, then a lot of windy, grindy conditions. The second week ramps up in size but remains a challenging, expert-only affair. Boneyards is inconsistent, so this pattern isn’t a huge surprise.

Rusty.

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