Junkyards Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's break down the Junkyards forecast.

The first couple of weeks are looking pretty bleak. We've got a long stretch of flat or tiny surf, and the wind is mostly cross-shore, just making it worse. The water is sitting at 86°, which is about a degree warmer than usual for this time of year, so it's a bit of a novelty if you're just getting wet.

From Thursday the 30th of July through to the start of August, forget it. We're looking at tiny 1.0ft to 2ft waves from the SW and SE, with periods barely cracking 8 or 9 seconds. The combined swell energy is pathetic, in the teens or low twenties (13 to 37). The winds are mostly glassy or light, but with no swell, it's just a flat lake. There's a solid stretch from the 3rd to the 6th of August where the swell energy is literally zero. It's a proper blank run.

Then things get a bit wild. On Friday the 7th of August, a massive pulse hits. We're talking a 25ft to 26ft W/SW swell with a 12-second period. The combined energy is off the charts at 15,957 and 23,190. But here's the catch – the wind is a hurricane-force cross-onshore, screaming at 75 to 80 mph. That's not surf, that's a survival mission. Even if the wind and tide are technically favorable, this is way too big for Junkyards. Only absolute experts should even be looking at it, and honestly, it's more of a kite-surfing or a "don't go near the water" situation.

The storm clears out over the weekend of the 8th and 9th, but the wind is still a nasty near-gale to fresh breeze from the S and SSE, making a mess of the 13ft to 6ft leftover swell. Conditions are lumpy and cross-chop. Not worth it.

The first real window of hope comes on Monday the 10th of August. The swell drops to a much more manageable 5ft to 6ft from the S and SSW, with a period of 11 to 12 seconds. The wind goes light cross-offshore from the SE and ESE, which will clean things up nicely. The combined energy is moderate (1124 to 1210). This is the standout. The swell is solid, the wind is favourable, and the period is long enough to give the waves some shape. It's a real chance for a decent session at Junkyards. Just be aware that it is a reef break, and with a long period groundswell from the S, it can get a bit straight and lumpy at a beach break, but here it should be fine.

The days following that, from the 11th to the 14th of August, see the swell ease off. We get clean, offshore winds from the E on the 12th and 13th, but the waves are tiny (2ft to 3ft) and the energy is weak (148 to 402). It's surfable, but very ordinary. The swell direction is mostly S, which is the optimum for Junkyards, so the shape should be okay, but there's just not enough power.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a write-off. The second week has a dangerous, massive swell that's not for paddling. The only real standout is Monday the 10th of August, with a clean, solid S swell. Mark it in your calendar.

Rusty.

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