Surf Forecasts:
Bunkers surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 5AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 8s period, NNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 2PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 8s period, NW swell with 588 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 16 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 15s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Bunkers this week:
The surf forecast for Bunkers over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 16) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 15s period with a secondary swell of 1.3m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Bunkers in the next 16 days are 2.1m 8s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 2PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (PDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Sun 16th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 15s |
| Best Surf | 5AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 2PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Bunkers over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Text 2 (imperial)
Alright, mate, let’s be straight with each other. This isn’t a classic run for Bunkers, and the next few days are gonna be a real struggle. We’ve got a long wait on our hands here. Honestly, the first week and a half is mostly a write-off—think marginal, small, and messy. There’s no real stand-out window where everything clicks perfectly, a lot of the swell is from the NW and cross-onshore, so the bank is gonna be chopped up and uninviting. Water temps are sitting at 56°F, which is about normal for the time of year (anomaly -1°F), so it's not unseasonably cold, just crisp.
Let’s start with Sunday the 16th. Small swell from the SSW, 3ft, but that’s a nice long period 16-second groundswell—the energy is there. The trouble is the wind is from the NNW at 6 mph, which puts it cross-on, so you’re dealing with a bit of a bumpy surface. Combined energy is moderate, around 532. The afternoon gets worse as the wind picks up to 9 mph, making it choppy. Monday 17th is much the same story, 3ft SSW swell, but the wind is onshore from the NW/NNW. The wave period holds around 14-15 seconds, but that clean face just isn’t there. The combined energy is still moderate (499 to 534), but the quality is poor.
Tuesday the 18th we see a shift in swell direction to the NW at 5ft, but the period drops to a weak 7 seconds—that’s short period, wind-affected junk. With a cross-on wind, it’s going to be a messy, bouncy sea. The combined energy creeps up to 549-569, but it won't be any fun on a paddle board.
Wednesday the 19th brings the biggest swell so far, 7ft from the NNW with a period of 8 seconds, giving a combined energy of 874 (moderate-to-strong). This is expert-only territory, and with onshore wind and short period, it’s more of a power-churn than a lined-up wave. If you’re a kiter, this might be the day you’re looking at.
Thursday the 20th offers a brief flicker of interest: the swell drops to 3ft from the WNW, but the period jumps to 11 seconds (groundswell), and the wind is a light cross-on from the west at 6 mph. It’s marginal, but the combined energy of 554-575 is better than it looks. Still, nothing to get excited about.
Friday the 21st through Saturday the 22nd we bottom out. Swell drops to 1-3ft, period becomes mixed, and the wind is cross-on at 9 mph, creating poor surf and choppy conditions. Combined energy drops below 200. It’s flat and ugly.
Sunday the 23rd brings a pulse of NW swell back to 7ft, period 8 seconds, and a combined energy of 725-771. It’s big, but with a light onshore or cross-on wind, it's a washing machine. Again, this is for the experienced crew only.
The tail end of the outlook from Monday the 24th onward is a slow slide back to small, mixed-up swell. Monday morning has 5ft from the NNW at 8 seconds, cross-on, marginal. Monday afternoon drops to a tiny 2ft from the SW, but that comes with an impressive 18-second period—the energy of 487 is weak but you’d get long, slow lines. The wind is light onshore from the NW at 3 mph, so there’s a chance it’s not terrible, but the size is just too small for a proper ride.
The only bright spot in the whole outlook is Wednesday the 26th afternoon. We’ve got 5ft from the NNW at 8 seconds, but here’s the kicker: the wind goes glassy—dead calm, slight air, from the west at 3 mph. Combined energy is 445 (moderate). That’s glassy, clean, and the swell is a manageable height. For Bunkers, that’s the only session in the whole 16-day window that looks even half decent.
Overall, there’s no standout window. The consistency is “fairly consistent” but the quality is poor. This kind of blank run is a bit out of the ordinary for the area, but it happens. Forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Sun morning, min 12°C on Sun morning). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 15°C on Thu morning, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | SSW 15 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
441 | 430 | 275 | 268 | 272 | 272 | 227 | 227 | 459 | 480 | 334 | 279 | 221 | 206 | 180 | 178 | 101 | 98 | 68 | 79 | 176 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | on | cross-on | glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-on | on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 3:25PM2.10m | 3:41AM1.69m | 3:59PM2.09m | 4:41AM1.50m | 4:35PM2.05m | 5:55AM1.36m | 5:17PM1.99m | 7:26AM1.29m | 6:08PM1.94m | 8:59AM1.32m | 7:10PM1.91m | 10:09AM1.39m | 8:15PM1.92m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:56AM0.19m | 9:42PM0.35m | 9:31AM0.42m | 10:35PM0.33m | 10:07AM0.64m | 11:33PM0.32m | 10:47AM0.84m | 00:37AM0.31m | 11:36AM1.01m | 1:45AM0.27m | 12:42PM1.12m | 2:51AM0.21m | 1:59PM1.16m | 3:48AM0.13m | |||||||
6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
— | 8:13 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:05 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | NNW 7 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | NNW 7 | SW 14 | SW 15 | SSW 16 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | NNW 7 | NNW 7 | WNW 11 | NNW 7 | WNW 11 | NNW 7 | WNW 10 | NW 7 | NW 7 | NW 7 |
441 | 430 | 186 | 268 | 272 | 198 | 214 | 217 | 326 | 213 | 186 | 222 | 150 | 206 | 127 | 117 | 56 | 78 | 65 | 79 | 176 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | SSW 15 | W 9 | W 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 18 | WNW 14 | WNW 13 | SSW 14 | SSW 15 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | SSW 14 | WNW 11 | SSW 14 | WNW 10 | NW 7 | W 10 | W 10 | SSW 12 |
31 | 29 | 275 | 39 | 36 | 272 | 62 | 120 | 135 | 129 | 275 | 242 | 221 | 173 | 164 | 178 | 82 | 32 | 49 | 47 | 61 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | NW 7 | WNW 9 | S 11 | WNW 12 | W 8 | WNW 15 | NW 11 | S 10 | SSW 16 | SW 21 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SW 19 | SSW 14 | SSW 19 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 17 |
11 | 12 | 27 | 9 | 15 | 31 | 46 | 5 | 2 | 52 | 18 | 279 | 183 | 58 | 180 | 36 | 101 | 98 | 68 | 67 | 97 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 5 | NW 6 | — | NW 7 | NNW 7 | — | NW 7 | NW 7 | NNW 8 | NNW 8 | NNW 7 | — | — | NNW 7 | — | NNW 7 | — | — | — | N 3 | — |
49 | 75 | — | 183 | 211 | — | 227 | 227 | 459 | 480 | 334 | — | — | 138 | — | 91 | — | — | — | 3 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 111 | 84 | 0 | 41 | 467 | 0 | 111 | 86 | 0 | 105 | 86 | 0 | 111 | 111 | 0 | 111 | 111 | 17 | 111 | 173 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Humboldt County | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Bunkers Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Bunkers provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Bunkers can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Bunkers surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Bunkers) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Bunkers may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Bunkers is 7 km (4 miles) from Eureka. If you plan a vacation in Humboldt County, look for hotels and other accommodation in Eureka. Eureka has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











