Bunkers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m Rusty, and here’s the lowdown on the only spot we’ve got to work with for the next couple weeks. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster, so let’s ride it.

The only break on the menu is Bunkers. It’s a beginner-friendly wave, and it’s fairly consistent, so it’ll show up a few times. The water is sitting at 54°F, which is about 2 degrees colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want a full suit.

Let’s start with the good stuff. Saturday, July 18th, the morning is the real deal. We’ve got a clean 3ft swell from the WNW, with a super long 16-second period. The wind is a light offshore from the NW, keeping the surface glassy. The combined energy is moderate at 961. This is a proper groundswell, so the sets will have some punch, but the long lulls between them make paddling out easy. The afternoon drops off to a smaller 3ft swell with a cross-onshore wind, so it’ll get choppy. Saturday morning is the standout.

Sunday the 19th brings a jump in size, up to 7ft to 7ft, but the period tanks to a short 8 seconds. That’s windswell from the NW and NNW. The wind is cross-onshore, so it’s going to be messy. At this size, it’s getting too big for beginners, and the short period means the waves won’t have much shape. Monday the 20th is similar, with 6ft to 6ft of short-period NW windswell and light cross-shore wind. It’s not great, just a bump.

From Tuesday the 21st through Thursday the 23rd, the swell drops to a tiny 2ft to 4ft, and the wind stays cross-onshore. The energy is weak, in the 400s to 500s. These are poor days, nothing to write home about.

Friday the 24th gets interesting. There’s a 6ft swell from the NNW in the morning, but it’s short-period. The afternoon is the real gem: a 3ft swell from the SW with a massive 24-second period. That’s an incredibly long period, and the energy is strong at 1508. The wind is a gentle cross-onshore, so it’ll be a bit bumpy, but that energy is going to produce some long, clean lines. Bunkers is a beach, so that long period might make it break a bit straight, but it’s worth a look. Saturday the 25th keeps the long-period SW energy (21 seconds), with 3ft to 4ft swells, and the wind is light cross-onshore. The energy stays strong (1575 and 1340). This is a promising shift, but it’s a week out, so keep an eye on it.

The second week drags on with a lot of the same. Sunday the 26th through Wednesday the 29th shows a steady 3ft to 4ft swell from the SW and SSW, with periods hanging around 15 to 18 seconds. The wind is consistently cross-onshore, from light to moderate breezes. The energy is moderate to strong, ranging from the 800s up to 1317. It’s not terrible, but it’s not clean. The crowds at Bunkers are sometimes an issue, so expect company.

The last few days, from Thursday the 30th through Saturday, August 1st, the swell shrinks to 2ft to 4ft, and the wind stays cross-onshore. The energy drops off into the 400s and 500s. It’s weak. Sunday, August 2nd, we see a return of 6ft to 7ft short-period NNW windswell, but with cross-onshore winds, it’s going to be a lumpy mess. That’s over 8ft, so experts only, and honestly, with the wind, it looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddling.

The standout is Saturday morning, July 18th – that 3ft groundswell with offshore wind is the cleanest we’ll see. The long-period SW pulses from the 24th to the 26th are a solid second option, but the cross-onshore wind keeps them from being perfect.

Bottom line: There’s a gap of poor or tiny surf from the 21st to the 23rd, and then again from the 30th onward. But Bunkers is fairly consistent, so it’ll come back. Forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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