Desert Point (Bangko-Bangko) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s on the table for Desert Point.

This is a reef break that only works for advanced surfers. It's fairly consistent and exposed, and the best swell direction is from the Southwest. Right now, we’re looking at a solid run of mainly cross and cross-off winds, with some serious size rolling in.

It’s a bumpy start on Tuesday the 11th. The swell is pumping at a solid 10ft from the SSW, with massive combined swell energy (5261). That’s powerful, but the 12 – 15 mph cross-shore wind is putting a chop on it, so it’s not going to be clean. The period is 17 seconds, so that’s a long-period groundswell, which will draw nicely down the point but also means big, pulsing sets that’ll challenge even the best.

Wednesday the 12th sees the size drop a little, down to 8ft in the morning and 6ft in the afternoon from the SSW. The wind turns cross-offshore, which is a big improvement. The wave face will be cleaner, but the energy is still moderate (3236 and 1925). Same goes for Thursday the 13th with 8ft and cross-off winds in the clean morning session—though the afternoon gets cross-shore again.

The standout window for clean, quality surf actually comes later in the run. Look at Tuesday the 18th of August. We’ve got a glassy morning with 6ft swell from the SW, period 16 seconds, and combined swell energy of 1963. The wind is glassy, the waves are clean. The best on offer, though, might be the morning of Wednesday the 19th, where the swell jumps back to 8ft from the SSW, period up to 18 seconds, and it’s glassy. Combined energy is 3485—moderate to strong—and conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. That is the pick of the 16 days.

Be aware, these bigger swells in the second week (8ft and up) are expert territory. The long periods mean the sets will be pulsing and the lulls can catch you out. This spot, being a point break, handles that long-period energy beautifully, but you still need to know what you’re doing.

The final few days (from the 23rd onwards) drop back to more manageable 5ft to 7ft, but the wind is mostly cross-off or cross, and hold a bit of bump. The last day of the run, the 26th, is small with only 5ft and a cross breeze, so the energy is weak (984). The run of surf is pretty consistent right through to the end, so if you miss the glassy windows in the middle of the second week, there’ll still be waves.

Best bet: the glassy, clean SW swell of 6ft on Tuesday the 18th morning, or the slightly bigger but still glassy 8ft SSW on Wednesday the 19th morning. That is the money window.

- Rusty

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