Johanna Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a wild ride ahead for the next couple of weeks. The action starts this Saturday, August 1st, with a solid pulse of south-west groundswell hitting Johanna. That’s 10 feet of swell with a 17-second period, and the energy is pumping – a reading of 5241. Water temp is 58°F, pretty standard for the season. The wind’s a light cross-off from the NNW at 6 mph, keeping it glassy. Johanna is very consistent, but expect it to be busy – it’s often crowded. This one’s for the experienced crew only.

Sunday the 2nd and Monday the 3rd are a letdown. Sunday still has the size – 10 feet – but the wind picks up and the forecast is marginal, likely tide-affected. Monday gets messy with cross-shore winds and some rain, turning to onshore junk by the afternoon. Skip those.

Tuesday the 4th is poor – windy, choppy, and rainy. Wednesday and Thursday have small, weak swell, around 5 feet, with light but onshore winds, so it’s lumpy. But hold on – Friday morning, August 7th, is looking sweet. The wind drops to nearly nothing, glassy conditions, and we’ve got 8 feet of WSW swell with a 16-second period. Energy’s up at 4573. That’s a clean, powerful morning for experienced surfers. The afternoon gets a bit crossed up, so go early.

Saturday the 8th keeps the quality with moderate north offshore winds, 8 feet of swell, and clean faces. Another good one. Then Sunday the 9th goes flat and sloppy – wind up, swell down to 5 feet, not worth it.

Now, the second week turns serious. Monday the 10th sees a big jump – swell hits 16 feet by the afternoon, with an energy reading of 12492. That’s heavy, powerful water. The wind stays light to moderate and cross-off, keeping it clean, but this is expert territory only. Tuesday the 11th holds that size, and Wednesday the 12th has 15 feet with offshore winds in the morning – clean and grinding. Energy readings are massive, in the 8500 to 14554 range. Thursday the 13th is another huge day – 18 feet of swell, long period, and the energy is off the charts. Friday the 14th starts with 16 feet and clean conditions, but the forecast warns it might be too big for the break – that tells you how heavy it’s getting. The afternoon turns windy and lumpy.

The weekend of the 15th and 16th is messy – Saturday is onshore and choppy, Sunday is blown out with strong winds and rain. That’s kite-surfing weather, not paddle surfing.

So, the best windows are Friday morning the 7th, Saturday the 8th, and the big clean days from Monday the 10th through Friday the 14th. The real standouts are Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th – massive, clean, and powerful. Just remember, this is serious swell – if you’re not confident in heavy waves, watch from the cliffs.

Rusty.

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