Junkyards Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for our local patch.

We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands, and to be honest, the first week or so looks pretty grim. We’re looking at a stretch from now until the end of August where the surf is either too small, too messy, or plain dangerous with strong winds. The water temp is sitting at about 84°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Starting off Tuesday the 25th, there’s just a tiny 2ft SW swell at Junkyards. The energy is weak at 39, and while the wind is cross-off, it’s a fresh 19 mph breeze. It’s not going to be worth the paddle. That theme continues through Wednesday and Thursday, with a big jump in swell height but it’s completely blown out. On Wednesday the 26th, we’ve got 8ft of WSW swell but it’s accompanied by a near gale-force onshore wind, and the combined energy hits 728 (moderate), but you won’t care because it’s a washing machine. Thursday the 27th pushes the energy up to 1317 (moderate) with 6ft W swell, but again, the wind is nasty and cross-shore. This is one of those setups that’d be more fun on a kite than a paddle board.

Friday the 28th clears up nicely with clean conditions and cross-off winds, but the swell is a short-period 7ft SE windswell (7 seconds), and the energy is moderate at 884. It’s surfable if you’re desperate, but the quality is still poor. Saturday the 29th looks a bit better with clean conditions and 5ft SSW swell, period stretching to 10 seconds, and energy at 736 (moderate). It’s marginal, but at least the wind is manageable.

Now, Sunday the 30th is where we start to see a glimmer. The morning offers 4ft SSW swell with an offshore ENE wind at 16 mph, clean conditions, and the energy is down to 213 (weak). The score is decent enough to say it’s “expect good surf conditions,” but it’s small. Still, that’s the first morning that feels like a real surf session, even if it’s a mellow one.

After that, it drops off again into tiny leftovers through Monday and Tuesday (31st and 1st), with energy bottoming out in the 40s and 80s. Then, brace yourselves: on Wednesday the 2nd of September, we get a massive spike. The afternoon shows a 21ft SE swell with a 12-second period, and combined energy absolutely pumping at 12451 (very strong). BUT – and it’s a huge but – the wind is a near gale cross-onshore, completely blowing it out. That’s a total write-off for surfing. That huge energy is just going to be a messy, dangerous wall of whitewater.

Thursday the 3rd stays big with 13ft SSE swell (energy 3963) but still onshore, and Friday the 4th remains poor with 8ft S swell. It’s not until Saturday the 5th of September that things finally line up. The morning delivers clean, cross-off conditions with a light 3 mph wind from the north, and a clean 6ft SSW swell (energy 920, moderate). The report is calling for “expect very good surf conditions,” and I back that up. The afternoon holds clean with 4ft WNW swell and light offshore breeze. This is a real standout.

But the real gem? That’s Sunday the 6th of September. Morning session at Junkyards has a light offshore 6 mph east wind, 4ft SW swell with a very long 14-second period – proper groundswell – and energy of 1062 (strong). This is listed as “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That long period means the waves will have serious shape and power, but at a reef like Junkyards, it’ll be offering up proper, lined-up walls. The afternoon stays clean with gentle offshore wind and 4ft NW swell. That Sunday morning is the pick of the whole 16-day run.

After that, it fades. Monday the 7th is still decent with 2ft SW swell and offshore wind, but it's small. Tuesday the 8th is marginal. By Wednesday the 9th, we’re back to tiny, weak surf with energy in the teens.

So, to sum it up: the first week is largely a write-off with a small window Sunday the 30th and then a big, blown-out pulse mid-week. The real standout is Saturday the 5th and especially Sunday the 6th of September – that Sunday morning is the one to circle on the calendar. Clean, long-period groundswell, light offshore wind, and a reef that will handle that direction beautifully. Get on it.

Rusty.

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