Hennemans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, this is Rusty, and I’m looking at the charts for the next couple of weeks. Straight up, it’s a pretty quiet run for the most part with plenty of small, choppy days. There’s a glimmer of hope right at the tail end, but we’ve got to work through a lot of mediocre to poor conditions to get there.

We’re looking at Hennemans, a reef setup exposed to the west. The water temp is sitting right around average for the time of year, nothing wild there.

The first few days through the 18th and 19th of August are pretty bleak. Waves are tiny, around 2ft, coming from the SW. There’s a very long period of 16 seconds, which is proper groundswell, but with that size and a cross-onshore wind making it choppy, it’s just not doing anything. The combined energy is weak, values in the 300s.

Moving into the 20th and 21st, the wind actually swings onshore, becoming cleaner with a light breeze. The swell stays marginal, only 2ft and a shorter period around 13-14 seconds. The energy is still weak (around 237 to 297), and while the wind is glassy, it’s just too small to get excited about. It’s a "marginal surf forecast" situation – you might find a knee-high wave if you’re desperate, but nothing to write home about.

The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd is more of the same. The swell drops to 1ft on the Saturday morning, with a very long period of 18 seconds, but it’s cross-onshore and messy. The energy is still in the low to mid 200s. By Sunday, the wind picks up a bit, making it “fairly choppy.” There’s a gap here with no real recommendations.

The following week, starting Monday the 24th and running through to the 28th, is a rinse and repeat. Daily swells hanging around 2ft to 4ft, mostly from the SW or WSW, with periods varying from 8 seconds (short and weak) to 19 seconds (long but lifeless). The winds are generally cross or cross-onshore, keeping the surface bumpy. The combined energy stays in the 200s to low 400s. It’s a long, quiet stretch.

Now, hold on to your boards. The standout window shows up on the weekend of the 29th and 30th of August. The swell picks up to 3ft from the SW, with a solid period of 16-17 seconds. This is a proper groundswell. The combined energy finally jumps into a more moderate range, hitting 664 on the Saturday morning and 743 on the Saturday afternoon. The wind is onshore and light on the Saturday morning, making for clean conditions. The afternoon gets a cross-onshore breeze, but it’s still a gentle breeze, so it won’t ruin it. This is the best on offer over the whole period, but you’ve got to wait over a week for it. The Sunday the 30th looks okay too, but the wind gets a little more cross-onshore. It’s still a promising, cleaner window.

The very last days, the 31st of August and 1st of September, see the swell start to fade again, dropping back to 2ft to 3ft, with the wind turning more cross-onshore and choppy.

So, the long and short of it: This is a slow period for Hennemans. The reef setup is exposed, but it needs a proper push. The only real standout is the 29th and 30th of August when the energy gets a bit of a kick and the wind looks friendly. For the rest of the time, you’re probably better off doing something else. The forecast can always change, but right now, patience is the name of the game.

Rusty.

Read more