Bunkers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the ocean's got cookin' for the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. The first few days are looking pretty average, and the wind isn't doing us any favors. But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

We kick things off around Tuesday the 4th with a fading NNW swell at around 7ft, but the 8-second period means it’s going to be a bit walled and without much push. The wind is light, but it’s cross-onshore, which will put a bit of a crinkle on the surface. The energy is only moderate (814), so it’s not going to be a classic. This pattern holds for a few days, with the swell slowly easing and the wind staying a bit messy. By Thursday the 6th, it’s down to around 4ft and the quality drops right off.

We do see a pulse of energy over the weekend of the 9th and 10th, with the swell picking back up to 8ft from the NNW. The energy gets up into the strong range (1168), but the period is still a short 8 seconds, and the winds are either onshore or cross-onshore. The bigger size with short period and crummy wind means it’s going to be a bit of a closeout mess. It looks more like a kite-surfing day than a paddling one, to be honest. It’s just too lumpy and raw.

The week after that is pretty poor. The wind gets stronger from the north on the 11th, and the swell stays in the 6ft plus range, but the conditions are just not there. The ocean is choppy and the waves are sectiony. It's a week to do other things, really.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. Around the 15th and 16th, we see a new, long-period SSW swell start to show up. The period is a solid 16 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The size is small, only around 3ft, but the energy is still moderate (1037). The trouble is, the direction is from the SSW, which is cross-shore for Bunkers, and the wind is still a bit on it. There's a moment on the 15th afternoon where the wind drops to just a slight air and it's cross-shore. It’s not going to be perfect, but it’s a sign of things to come.

This new energy tries to build, but the swell direction swings back to the NNW for the 17th and 18th, with more size but a shorter period. It’s decent, but the wind is still not ideal.

The real standout in this whole window is the tail end of the run. On Wednesday the 19th, the wind drops out completely, and the ocean goes glassy. The swell is small, only 2ft to 2ft, but it’s from the SSW with a period of 14-15 seconds. The energy is weak (367), but for a clean, glassy day, even a small, long-period swell can be a lot of fun on the right bank. It’s the cleanest forecast we have, and the lack of wind is a huge plus. It’s a long way out, so it’s a promising but less certain call, but it’s the one to keep an eye on.

Water temps are sitting at 56°, which is just about normal for this time of year, so a decent 4/3 will do you.

So, the call is this: the best windows are the glassy afternoon on the 19th for a clean if small wave, and maybe the morning of the 17th if the cross-shore wind stays light. The rest of the run is a struggle. Keep an eye on that long-range forecast, it might just clean up.

Rusty.

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