Junkyards Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and we’ve got a slow burn of a forecast coming up for Junkyards. This reef break is exposed to the swell but it’s a tricky one – plenty of days where the wind just won’t play nice. The water’s sitting around 83°F, pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no nasty surprises there.

The first few days? Not much to write home about. Tuesday the 1st of September kicks off with a tiny 1ft to 2ft SW swell, but the wind is howling from the ENE at 22 to 19 mph, so it’s clean but downright small. The combined energy is weak, sitting at 57 to 61. Wednesday the 2nd sees a little bump up to 3ft to 3ft SSW swell, and the wind swings more offshore in the afternoon, making it clean. The energy picks up to moderate (175 to 208), but still, it’s just not pumping.

Thursday the 3rd gets a bit more size, with 4ft SW swell, and the period stretches to 11 to 12 seconds – a proper groundswell. The energy gets into the 300s, but the wind is cross-onshore and choppy, so the quality is poor. Friday the 4th has a similar 4ft to 5ft SSW swell, but the wind is light and variable, leading to a “marginal” call. The energy is moderate to strong (452 to 466), but the conditions just aren’t clicking.

Now, Saturday the 5th of September is the first real standout. The morning is glassy with a 3ft S swell, and the wind is dead calm. The energy is moderate (281). The afternoon gets a nice 5ft SSW swell with a clean offshore breeze. That’s quality surf for the intermediate crew – not too big, not too small. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

The rest of the first week and into the second week? It’s a lot of clean but small surf, or bigger swell with messy wind. Monday the 7th has a clean 4ft to 4ft S swell with light offshore or cross-offshore winds, but the energy is moderate (215 to 283). It’s okay, but not a standout.

Then we hit the second week. From the 11th to the 13th, the swell builds: 4ft to 6ft SSE swell, but the wind is cross-shore and strong, making it lumpy. The energy gets strong (358 to 934), but the conditions are poor. Not worth paddling out.

Now, the real standout of the whole forecast is Monday the 14th of September. We’ve got a 7ft S swell, period of 14 seconds, and the wind is offshore from the ENE at 16 mph. The combined energy is through the roof at 1454. That’s a solid groundswell with clean conditions. This is for experienced surfers – 7ft+ is a step up. The long period (14 seconds) means the waves will have plenty of punch and shape, and the reef here will handle it well. The morning is the pick.

Tuesday the 15th gets even bigger – 10ft S swell, 16-second period, energy at 4724. That’s massive. The wind is cross-offshore, so it’s clean, but 10ft is expert territory. The long period will make paddling easier between sets, but this is a heavy wave.

Wednesday the 16th of September sees a massive 15ft SSE swell, 14-second period, energy at 7625. That’s extreme. The wind is cross-offshore, but the size is way beyond what most can handle. This is for the brave or the kite surfers, honestly. The afternoon drops off to nothing.

So, overall, the best on offer is Monday the 14th of September – 7ft, offshore, clean, and a solid groundswell. Saturday the 5th is the call for smaller, cleaner waves. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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