Johanna Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

The long-range picture for this stretch is a proper mixed bag. We’ve got some serious energy pulsing through at times, but it’s going to take a bit of patience to line up the winds. Right now, it’s grim – Saturday the 22nd is a big fat write-off with a solid 16.4ft of WSW swell, but a strong cross-onshore breeze is going to have it chopped to bits. Not worth getting wet.

Sunday the 23rd is where the turn starts. The swell drops to a still-chunky 11.5ft from the SW, but a light cross-offshore breeze from the NNW is the key. This is clean, powerful surf – the kind that gets the heart rate up. This is for experienced surfers, though; that size at Johanna (Great Ocean Road) is no joke. The energy is still strong, reading 6142 in the combined energy, and it’s solid groundswell with a 14-second period. Sunday morning is the clear winner for the week.

We’ve got a bit of a lull from Monday the 24th through Wednesday the 26th. The swell backs down to the 6.9ft to 9.8ft range, and while there are windows of clean conditions – Monday afternoon is glassy with a 7.9ft SW swell – it’s more about picking smaller windows. Not the main event.

Thursday the 27th sees a small, clean morning wave at 3.9ft, but the real standout is Friday the 28th. Overnight, the swell jumps back up. Friday morning brings a powerful 11.5ft WSW groundswell with a long 17-second period and a light cross-offshore breeze. This is the one to circle. The energy reads 7339 and the comment says it all: exceptional for experts. This is a proper day at Johanna, with clean, heavy lines stacking up. The afternoon gets messy as the wind swings onshore, so it’s a morning mission.

The weekend after is a write-off again. Saturday the 29th has building onshore winds and poor conditions. But hold on, because Sunday the 30th is another big one. The swell is back up to 14.8ft to 16.4ft from the SW, with the energy reading a massive 11899 and 14043. The wind is light, but it’s cross-onshore, so it won’t be perfect. Still, for the experts out there, that’s a lot of water moving. It’s going to be a beast.

Monday the 31st has a promising glassy morning with an 11.5ft SW swell, which is excellent before the wind picks up. Then we slide into a more mixed bag for the first week of September. Tuesday the 1st gets blown out in the afternoon. The following days have some fun, clean windows – like Thursday the 3rd and Saturday the 5th – but the size drops and the consistency wavers. The standout from this second week is, without doubt, Friday the 28th of August. It has everything: size, power, offshore wind, and a long period. Sunday the 30th is also a huge day but the wind will be the letdown. For the average punter, the clean, solid 11.5ft day on Sunday the 23rd is your best bet for a proper, rippable session.

Alright, that’s it from me. Stay safe out there.

Read more