Bunkers Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s break it down. The first real chance comes quick—Saturday afternoon has clean, glassy conditions with a nice pulse of energy. That’s your best window of the early run. But from Sunday through most of the following week, the wind turns against you. Waves stay up in the 2 to 3 metre range, but they’re short-period and chopped up by cross-onshore breezes. It’s messy, bumpy, and not worth the fight unless you’re desperate for a paddle.

The standout is Bunkers (United States) on Saturday the 12th. That’s the day to mark. You’ve got 3 feet of southwest swell, a 14-second period, and dead calm—no wind at all. Water temp is 58°F, right around normal for this time of year. Combined energy is 623, which is solid moderate—you’ll feel it. Clean conditions at this exposed reef will make it feel bigger than the number suggests. It’s beginner-friendly, but with that clarity and period, it’s the cleanest you’ll get all fortnight. Enough push to get you moving without smashing you.

After that, the weekend and early week turn rough. Sunday the 13th through Tuesday the 15th bring persistent cross-onshore winds, bumpy 5 to 7 foot waves, and short 8-second periods. Energy climbs—528 to 964—but it’s all chop and push, no form. Tuesday afternoon hits 8 feet with a stiff north wind: that’s the low point, full onshore churn, heavy paddling, and lumpy closeouts. Not worth the wet suit.

Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th stay similar but the wind backs off a touch—still cross-onshore, still short-period, but size drops to 5–7 feet. Rideable but forgettable. You’ll be hunting corners and dodging ripples. Energy is moderate, 581 to 693, so there’s push but no finesse.

Then the swell gutters out. Friday the 18th through Sunday the 20th sees a long-period 18–19 second pulse, but it’s tiny—2 to 3 feet—and the wind stays cross-onshore. That’s essentially a two-to-three-day flat spell. Barely any push, and that long period at a beach break means waves stand up and just close out. Not worth getting wet for more than a splash.

Then the power returns. Monday the 21st and Tuesday the 22nd are the next window. Swell jumps to 7–8 feet from the northwest, periods still short at 8–9 seconds, and combined energy gets serious—1011 on Monday morning, 1231 Monday afternoon, 1184 Tuesday morning. That’s strong to very strong. But the wind stays cross-onshore and choppy. So you’ve got size, but it’s raw, lumpy 8-foot waves with a north wind shredding the faces. This is expert territory only—over 8 feet it’s heavy and relentless. Beginners and even intermediates should stay on the sand. It’s not about finding walls; it’s about survival and late drops.

Wednesday the 23rd drops back to 4 feet from the northwest with a 12-second period, but the wind is onshore in the morning and cross-onshore in the afternoon. Still poor. Thursday the 24th is a bit better—4 feet, 10–11 second period, light cross-onshore breeze—but it’s small and clean-ish rather than exciting. You’ll get some fun little runners if you’re keen, but nothing that’ll have you calling in sick.

The end of the window gets interesting. Saturday the 26th sees a real spike—8 feet from the north-northwest, 9-second period, and combined energy goes ballistic, hitting 1085 in the morning and 1267 in the afternoon. That’s full-on heavy. But the north wind is 15–20 km/h cross-onshore, so it’s a washing machine. Sunday the 27th is the wildcard: 6 feet in the morning from the north-northwest with light onshore wind, then the afternoon swings to 4 feet with a 13-second period and gentle cross-onshore. Energy’s still massive at 1297, but the period is stretched and the wind is iffy. For a point or reef, that long period would be gold—but here it’s more likely to stand up and then crumble. Still, that Sunday is worth a look if you can find a corner.

So, honestly, if you’ve got one day to make it count, it’s Saturday the 12th. Glassy, decent size, clean lines, and the water’s not freaky cold. The rest of the fortnight is either too small, too short-period, too choppy, or too big and raw. There’s plenty of energy in that final weekend, but it’s not friendly energy. Keep expectations low and eyes on the forecast—this stretch has a habit of teasing.

Rusty

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