Boneyards Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your wettie, this is a long-range look at what we’ve got cooking. Just one spot on the cards for the full 16 days: Boneyards.

First up, that water temp is a frigid 57°F, a whole 9° colder than usual for this time of year. That's not just a little fresh, that's a full-on shiver-fest. You're gonna need the thickest rubber you own, and maybe a second hood.

We kick off on Tuesday the 25th of August with some proper size on offer. Morning sees a 8ft SW swell with a 13-second period, combined energy is a solid 3463 (moderate-to-strong). Wind is a 12 mph cross-off from the WSW, keeping the wave face clean, but the report’s flagging it as marginal for tide. That afternoon the swell pushes up to 10ft from the SW with a very long 15-second period, energy reading 3470, but the wind goes light cross from the SSW. It’s not perfect, but there’ll be some big, clean lines to be had for the crew who know the reef.

Wednesday the 26th is a write-off. Easterly winds pick up to 22 mph in the afternoon, smashing that 10ft swell into a cross-on-shore choppy mess. Scores are a big fat zero. Don't bother.

Thursday the 27th is the standout of the first week. Morning has a 7ft SSW groundswell at 12 seconds, energy at 1931 (moderate). But the real story is the wind: dead calm, totally glassy. This is as good as it gets for clean conditions on a reef. It's going to be beautiful out there, though the size and power means this is for experienced surfers only.

Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th both serve up smaller, cleaner surf in the 3ft to 4ft range with light offshore and cross-off breezes. Decent for a longboard or a funboard, but nothing to set the world on fire.

Sunday the 30th brings a spike in size again, a 10ft SW swell, but it's a short-period 8-second windswell. The combined energy is 1203 (moderate), but it’ll be a bit lumpy and less organised, with rain showers to boot.

There’s then a few days of middling conditions before we get to the real bomb.

Wednesday the 2nd of September is the one. This is the true standout. Morning sees a massive 16ft SW groundswell with a very long 15-second period. The combined energy is a monstrous 10257 (very strong). Wind is a light 6 mph cross-off from the SW, meaning those huge, powerful lines should be clean and well-shaped. This is exceptional, big-wave territory for experts only. That afternoon the swell backs off a bit to 13ft but the wind cranks up to 19 mph from the WSW, so get it in the morning.

Friday the 4th of September is another colossal day, but with a big caveat. The morning shows a 21ft ESE swell, combined energy 9925, with a clean cross-off wind. The problem is the data itself flags that the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. It will be absolute chaos, a washing machine. Only a total kamikaze would even think about it.

The rest of the second week is dominated by 13ft to 16ft ESE swells with onshore or cross-on winds, which will just be a blown-out mess at this reef. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing through that period.

So, to wrap it up: Your best windows for a clean, proper session are Thursday the 27th of August (morning, knee-trembling cold but glassy) and the chance of a lifetime on Wednesday the 2nd of September (morning, huge and perfect, but for the elite crew only). It’s a wild ride of a forecast with some serious highs and some total lows.

Rusty.

Read more