Hennemans Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your wettie, 'cause I'm gonna walk you through what's on the menu at Hennemans over the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a slow cooker, but there might be a little something worth waiting for.

Straight up, the first part of this run is gonna be a real test of patience. We're looking at several days starting Monday, August 17th, and lasting through to the end of next week, the 28th, where the wave heights are just way too small. You're looking at ankle-biters in the 1 ft to 3 ft range, and the energy is weak, too, with combined energy numbers mostly sitting in the low-to-mid hundreds. The wind isn't doing us any favors either, mostly cross-onshore or straight onshore, which is gonna put a bit of chop on the surface. Honestly, the only thing that keeps it from being a total write-off is the rock-solid water temp. It's sitting at 72°F, which is a full 4°F warmer than normal for this time of year, and that's super noticeable, especially for late August. You'll be surfing in a spring suit, for sure. It's a reef break with an inconsistent nature, so you need it to be working, and it just isn't.

Now, I see the finder data has this entire stretch rated as "poor" or "marginal." For the first few days, the waves are just too weak to bother with. The period is around 14 seconds, which is surfable, but there just isn't enough size. Even into the weekend, the 22nd and 23rd, we're still stuck in that same groove of small, weak swell. The best wave heights are still only scraping up to around 2 ft, and the period drops off to 13 seconds on Sunday afternoon, making it even less appealing. There is a bit of a tease around the 24th and 25th with the energy picking up a touch, hitting 404 on the combined scale, but the wave height stubbornly stays pinned around 2 ft to 2 ft. It's all just enough to get your hopes up, but not enough to justify paddling out.

But hold on, don't go writing the whole window off yet. This is where things get interesting. The real story here is that long-range forecast for Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th. We finally see some proper pulse of energy showing up. The combined energy jumps into the 800s and 900s, which is moderate wave energy, and the swell height comes up to around 4 ft to 4 ft. That's a much better prospect. The swell direction is still from the SW, which matches the optimum direction for this spot. The wind is still a bit onshore, but the extra size and push should make it more interesting. This is the standout of the whole period, but it's a long way out, so don’t book the plane tickets just yet.

If we do get that swell, you're looking at a proper wave for the intermediate crew. At 4 ft with that 18-second period, it could actually be packing a punch. But, that period is a bit long for a reef, so watch for it to stand up a little more than usual. The first day of that pulse, the 29th, looks like the pick of the bunch. I'd be looking for a dawny on that Saturday morning before the wind gets on it.

After that little burst, we fade back out. The 31st and the 1st of September still have some size, around 2 ft to 3 ft, but the energy is dropping off again, and it looks like we settle back into the same marginal conditions. So, in the end, it's a two-week grind with one promising weekend right at the end. Keep your expectations low for most of it, and maybe, just maybe, we get a bit of a reward for our patience. This is Rusty, signing off.

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