Joaquina Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Joaquina’s got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks.

The first half of the period is a bit of a mixed bag, but we’ve got some real windows of opportunity if you’re patient. The water’s sitting at 66°F, which is about normal for this time of year, nothing to write home about.

Saturday the 8th is where it starts to get interesting. A solid 4ft SSE swell rolls in with a 14-second period – that’s proper groundswell energy. The morning starts with light rain and a gentle N wind, giving us a clean, cross-off breeze. The combined energy reads 648, which is a solid moderate pulse. This is a great window for intermediate surfers to get some long, clean rides. The afternoon cleans up even more with a light offshore NNW wind at 6 mph. The consistency here is very consistent, so you won’t be waiting long between sets. Just keep in mind, Joaquina can get crowded, and with conditions this good, expect plenty of company in the water.

Now, the real standout for the whole forecast is Thursday the 20th. The morning is looking glassy with a 7ft SSE swell pushing in at 12 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 1085 – that’s strong energy, and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. The wind is dead calm, glassy. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The afternoon, however, gets a bit wild. The swell jumps to 12ft from the south, with energy hitting 4846. That’s very strong, and honestly, for this break, it’s probably too big. The wind is a gentle cross-shore, but the forecast suggests the swell is predicted to be too big for Joaquina. This is expert territory only, and even then, you’d want to be careful. The morning session on the 20th is the true highlight.

Sunday the 9th and Monday the 10th are a write-off. Strong onshore winds from the south and SSW with gusts up to 16 mph chop up the 4ft to 8ft swell. The surf will be poor and messy. Not worth paddling out for.

We get a bit of a reprieve on Wednesday the 12th. The morning is glassy with a 5ft SE swell, period 12 seconds, and energy at 560. The wind is calm, glassy conditions. It’s a smaller window, but the quality will be there. The afternoon is clean with a light cross-off, though the swell drops a touch.

The following week, from the 17th onward, we see a shift to more easterly swells. Monday the 17th has a clean 5ft ESE swell with a short 7-second period. The wind is light cross-off, but that short period means the waves will be a bit weaker and more crumbly. Tuesday the 18th is a beauty: clear skies, light offshore WNW wind, and a 5ft E swell. The morning is clean, and the afternoon is glassy. The energy is moderate at 418 and 374. This is a solid option for a midweek session.

Wednesday the 19th is still clean in the morning, but the swell drops to 4ft from the east. The combined energy is only 271, so it’s a bit weak but still fun on a longboard.

Thursday the 20th, as I mentioned, is the big one. The morning is the pick of the entire forecast. The afternoon is too big for most.

Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd see a 4ft to 6ft SE swell, but the wind is a moderate cross-off from the north. The conditions are clean, but the energy is dropping, and the forecast is calling it marginal. It’s rideable, but nothing special.

So, overall, the best surf on offer is the morning of Saturday the 8th for a fun, clean groundswell session, and the absolute standout is the morning of Thursday the 20th for a glassy, powerful, experienced surfer’s dream. The gaps between good days are a couple of days here and there, but the consistency is good enough that you won’t be waiting too long for another window.

Rusty.

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