Joaquina Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a good, hard look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks. It's a real mixed bag, and you're gonna need some patience.

We're starting off with a bit of a flat spell. The first few days are looking pretty grim for a paddle. Sunday morning the 16th might have a small bump of 5 ft, but it's a weak, short-period E swell with a cross-offshore breeze. It's not worth your time. From Sunday afternoon right through to Wednesday the 19th, the wave heights drop to almost nothing. It's a proper lull.

We do get a tiny pulse on Thursday morning the 20th, with a 2 ft SSE swell, but it's only 7 seconds (very short period) and the energy is weak (55). That's barely surfable. Then we get another lull until the 22nd when the energy starts to build, but it's all onshore or cross-onshore wind, making a mess of things.

The real standout in this entire window is Sunday morning, the 23rd of August at Joaquina. This is the one to circle. The forecast shows a 6 ft SSE groundswell with a period of 9 seconds, and the wind is forecast to drop to *glassy* conditions from the SSW. That's a solid moderate wave energy (521) and it's going to be clean as a whistle. The swell direction is from the SSE, which is a touch different from the optimum SE direction for Joaquina, but with glassy conditions and that size, it's going to be the best waves we've seen in a while. This is a sandbar break that is very consistent, but it does get crowded often, so get there early. The water temperature is sitting at 65°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

Now, after that Sunday morning session, the wind goes onshore again Sunday afternoon and through Monday the 24th, so it gets messy. The next good opportunity doesn't pop up until the following week. On Wednesday the 26th of August, we've got a really nice signal. The morning shows a 4 ft SE swell with a solid 12-second period, and a light offshore NNW breeze at 6 mph. The energy is strong (403), and it's a groundswell. That's a promising session, though it's a week out so keep an eye on it. The afternoon stays clean with a cross-offshore breeze.

The last standout is way down the line, on Monday the 31st of August. The morning shows a 5 ft E swell with a very short period of 6 seconds and a clean cross-offshore breeze. The energy is strong (360), but that short period means it will be a bit crumbly and less powerful. Still, it's the only game in town that far out for a clean wave.

So, to sum it up: the next week is mostly a write-off. Your best bet is the glassy Sunday morning on the 23rd. After that, keep an eye on the 26th and the 31st for some cleaner conditions. It's not a classic run, but there are a few gems in there.

Rusty.

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