Johanna Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break it down. We’ve got one spot on the radar for the next couple of weeks, and it’s a proper big-wave setup.

The main event is Johanna, a beach and point break that’s exposed to the south swell. It’s a very consistent spot, so when the energy shows up, it shows up in a big way. The water temp is sitting at 57°F which is about average for this time of year, so nothing to shock you when you get out of the wetsuit.

We kick off this Sunday, the 23rd of August, with a serious pulse. Sunday morning is looking like a standout for the big dogs. The swell is 12ft from the SW, and the period is a beefy 14 seconds – that’s proper groundswell. The combined energy is massive at 6142, so you’ll feel the ocean breathing. The wind is a clean cross-off from the NNW, keeping the faces tidy. This is expert territory only, as the size is well over 8ft. If you’re not comfortable in heavy water, give it a miss. Sunday afternoon gets a bit blown with a light cross-on, so morning is the clear call.

Monday, the 24th, and Tuesday, the 25th, settle down a bit. Monday morning is 8ft from the SW with that same 14-second period, again cross-off wind. Still a solid size for experienced surfers. Tuesday morning is the real gem of the early week – glassy conditions with the NNE wind dropping to 3 mph, and a 8ft SW swell. That’s clean, smooth, and lined up. Crowds are often at Johanna, so expect company for these cleaner sessions.

The wind turns ugly from Wednesday the 26th through to the end of the week, with strong cross-onshore conditions. The swell remains in the 8ft range, but the quality drops off. It’s onshore and choppy, so not worth paddling out. The next big window opens up on Monday the 31st of August. The wind swings back to an offshore NW direction, holding 12ft swells from the SW with a 16-second period. That’s a long-period groundswell, which at a point break setup like this, will offer some beautiful, long walls. The energy is still strong at 6449.

The real standout, though, is further out. Friday the 4th of September is looking like the absolute best of the whole forecast. The afternoon session is a solid 15ft from the SW, 16-second period, with a light offshore breeze from the NW. The combined energy is 8955, and the conditions are being described as exceptional for experts. This is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s a long way out, so the certainty isn’t locked in, but if it comes together, it’ll be a session to remember.

The weekend of the 5th and 6th holds some size, but the wind is a bit all over the shop. Sunday the 6th of September has a nice clean cross-off from the ENE, with a 8ft WSW swell – that’s a more manageable size for a strong intermediate. Into the second week, the pattern continues with big swells and tricky winds. Monday the 7th of September gets messy with strong onshore winds, so that’s a write-off.

Overall, the best bets are Sunday morning the 23rd of August for the heavy crew, Tuesday morning the 25th for the glassy conditions, and the big long-range standouts on Friday the 4th of September. The rest of the window is a mix of big energy and challenging wind, so pick your moments.

This is Rusty, signing off.

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