Joaquina Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the table for the coming weeks at Joaquina. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s break it down.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a slow start. The surf is pretty limp over the first couple of days. Sunday morning the 30th of August is offering up tiny 3ft waves from the east with a short 8-second period, and a cross-onshore breeze. The water temperature is sitting at 66°, which is about normal for the time of year. The energy is weak (122), and honestly, it’s not worth paddling out for. The only real glimmer of hope early on is Monday afternoon, the 31st of August. We get a bit of a pulse, with 5ft waves from the ESE, 8 seconds, and the wind goes glassy. That’s a window for some clean, fun waves, but it’s still a short period and the overall energy is moderate (253). Not a standout, but a chance to get wet.

As we roll into September, Tuesday morning the 1st looks promising with clean 5ft surf from the ESE under a cross-offshore breeze. The energy is picking up a bit (327), but it’s still a short period swell. Then it gets ugly. From Wednesday the 2nd right through to the weekend of the 5th and 6th, the wind is a mess. We’re looking at cross-onshore breezes and choppy conditions, with swell heights bouncing between 4ft and 6ft, but the quality is poor. The energy gets up there (420, 484), but it’s all blown out. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle session.

There’s a bit of a lull around the 8th and 9th of September, with tiny 1ft to 2ft waves. The energy drops to near nothing (46, 47). Don’t get your hopes up.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The best bet in the whole outlook is Friday morning, the 11th of September. We’ve got a 3ft swell from the SSE, but the period jumps to 10 seconds, which is a nice groundswell feel. The wind is glassy, absolute perfection. The energy is solid (272) and the conditions will be clean. The crowd profile at Joaquina is "often," so expect some company, but for that quality of a morning, it’ll be worth it. That’s your standout.

After that, the tail end of the forecast gets a bit messy again. Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th are back to cross-onshore winds and short period junky waves. Monday the 14th of September shows a bigger 6ft swell from the ESE with a 9-10 second period, and the energy is strong (537-569). The wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s marginal. If you’re an expert looking for some size and you don’t mind a bit of bump, it’s there, but it’s not the clean glass of the 11th.

So, to wrap it up: the start is poor, the middle is a write-off, and the real gem is the glassy morning on Friday, the 11th of September. If you can only paddle out once, make it that one.

Rusty.

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