Bunkers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

Straight up, this is a long haul forecast with a slow start. For the first week or so, we’re looking at small, choppy, and mostly cross-onshore conditions at Bunkers. It’s a bit of a tease, with some decent long-period energy showing up but the wind just won’t play nice for clean paddle surfing. There’s a big gap of nothing really worth paddling out for until we get into the first week of September.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on the morning of Friday the 4th of September. The swell is starting to build, but it’s a short-period, wind-driven 6ft from the NW with a period of just 8 seconds and a strong 12 mph cross-onshore wind. The combined energy is strong (1323), but that’s wind chop energy, not clean surf. It’s going to be a messy, choppy mess. The afternoon of the 5th of September sees the swell push to 8ft from the NNW, but again, short period and onshore wind. That’s expert territory for size, but the quality is poor. This setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The real standout, the one that gets my heart pumping, is the morning of Sunday the 7th of September. We’ve got a solid 10ft groundswell from the NNW, with a period of 9 seconds, and a light 9 mph cross-shore wind from the WSW. The combined energy is very strong (1668). This is the best on offer. The swell direction is a bit off from the optimum W, but the cross-shore wind will keep it clean. Bunkers is a fairly consistent spot, so the waves will be there. The afternoon of the 7th of September is even better for size, with a 13ft swell from the same direction, but the wind shifts to a light 6 mph cross-shore from the WSW. The energy is huge (3331). This is a big, powerful swell. For a beach break like Bunkers, that long-period groundswell can make it break a bit straight, but with the cross-shore wind, it’ll be a proper, heavy adventure. This is for experienced surfers only.

The water temp is sitting at 58°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so the 3/2 wetsuit is your friend.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. Keep your eyes on the 7th of September for the best chance at some real, clean, powerful surf. It’s a long way out, so don’t book the trip yet, but keep the date in the back of your mind. The following days on the 8th and 9th of September will still have size, but the energy drops off and the wind might get a bit messy again.

Stay stoked, and I’ll see you out there.

Rusty

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