Johanna Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s comin’ down the line.

We’ve got one spot on the cards for the next two and a half weeks: Johanna. Honestly, the first few days are a bit of a mixed bag—don’t expect a lot of perfection early on. The water temp’s hangin’ at 57°, which is about what you’d expect for this time of year, so no surprises on that front.

Monday the 17th kicks off with a solid 8ft WSW swell, period at 16 seconds—that’s a long period groundswell, full of energy. The combined energy is crackin’ at (3071), but the wind is a cross-off from ENE at 6 mph, so it’ll be clean enough for experienced surfers only. That 8ft is a bit much for beginners, and the long period means it’ll be better on a point or reef setup. Johanna is a beach and point, so it’s got the right shape for that. Later in the arvo, the swell hangs in there but the wind picks up a bit—still cross-off, but it’s marginal with tide.

Tuesday the 18th looks nicer: morning sees 7ft from the WSW, period 14 seconds, and the wind is offshore from the NNE at 9 mph. That’s gentle offshore and clean. Energy drops a touch (2150), but it’s still got some punch. This is your call for a decent session if you’re an intermediate or better. The arvo keeps the same vibe, swell a little smaller at 6ft, still clean.

Wednesday the 19th takes a dive—4ft, light, and the wind gets fresh from the north at 19 mph. It’s offshore but the swell’s weak, energy’s down to 720. Not worth paddlin’ out for unless you’re desperate.

Thursday the 20th isn’t much better. Mornin’ has 4ft but the cross-off wind from NW at 12 mph keeps it clean-ish. Energy jumps weirdly to 1592, but that swell’s not solid enough to get excited about. Arvo turns to 8ft but with a cross-shore wind from the west—that’s gonna chop it up. Hard pass.

Friday the 21st and into the weekend—honestly, the swell size gets bigger but the wind is a disaster. Friday has 7ft cross-onshore, Saturday pushes up to 12-13ft with cross-shore winds. That’s raw power (energy up at 6192 to 7248) but the conditions are messy. It’s more of a kite-surf show than a paddle surf one.

Sunday the 23rd is a slight improvement: 10ft SW swell, cross-off wind from NW at 12 mph, clean. That’s big—only for experts—but if you can handle it, there’ll be some sizey walls. Energy is high at 5841.

The middle of the week from Monday 24th into Thursday 27th is pretty bleak—onshore winds, dropping swell, and poor conditions. Not worth your time.

Now, the real standout—the absolute pick of this whole outlook—is Saturday the 29th of August. Morning brings a massive 16ft WSW swell, period 12 seconds. Wind is cross-off from the east at 12 mph, so it’s clean. Combined energy hits 7680—that’s proper strong. This is for experts only. If you’re an experienced charger and you’re free that morning, get down to Johanna. It’ll be big, raw, and with that cross-off wind it should hold some nice lines. Crowds are often a thing here, but on a day this size, it’ll thin out. Afternoon drops to 15ft, still clean, still solid.

Sunday the 30th is another good one: 8ft SW swell at 16 seconds, light cross-off breeze from ENE at 6 mph. Energy (3137). That’s a beaut of a session for strong intermediates or above.

And then as we roll into Monday 31st August and Tuesday 1st September, we get a nice run of offshore winds from the NNE—clean, solid 7-12ft swell, long periods. Energy keeps up (2293-4319). That’s a solid finish to the outlook.

So to wrap it: the best on offer is without doubt the morning of Saturday the 29th of August—big, clean, powerful, for experts only. Sunday the 30th and the Monday-Tuesday after are your backups for solid, clean waves with a bit more manageability.

Stay salty,
Rusty.

Read more