Junkyards Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you from the get-go: it’s a grim stretch ahead for the Junkyards. We’re looking at a solid week-plus of nothing doing before things finally wake up, and even then, it’s a tricky game.

The first recommendation for a surf doesn't kick in until the morning of Sunday, the 9th of August. The week leading up to that is a total write-off. Thursday afternoon, the 30th of July, through to the afternoon of Saturday, the 8th of August, is all poor surf conditions with tiny, almost non-existent swell. The combined energy is a measly 11 (Thursday afternoon) to 0 for most of that first week. You’ve got glassy, clean conditions a few times, but with zero swell, you’re not paddling out. Even when a massive 15 ft to 25 ft swell shows up on the 6th and 7th of August, the wind is howling—gale to violent storm force. That’s a dangerous mess, not surf for anyone.

So, the only real window of opportunity, and it’s a marginal one, starts on the morning of Sunday, the 9th of August. The swell finally arrives, but it’s a big, powerful groundswell from the SW with a 12-second period. The combined energy is a strong 2724, but the height is 8 ft. That’s expert territory, and with a long period like that, it’s going to be a bit walled-up and straight at a beach break like this. The wind is a clean, moderate cross-off from the SSE, which is a plus. It’s a real grind, but it’s the only game in town.

The best of a bad bunch is the morning of Monday, the 10th of August. The swell drops to 6 ft, still a SW groundswell at 12-seconds, but the combined energy is a solid 1222. You’ve got a gentle cross-off breeze from the ESE, keeping it clean. It’s still a bit big for the average punter, but the quality is the best on offer across the entire 16 days. The wind is clean, and the swell has some punch.

The window closes out from Tuesday, the 11th of August, through to Friday, the 14th of August. The swell fades from 4 ft down to 2 ft, with periods dropping to 9-10 seconds. The wind is offshore or cross-off, which is clean, but the energy drops right off (from 375 down to 115). It’s surfable, but ordinary. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 86°, but that’s small comfort when there’s no real juice.

Honestly, if you’re a paddler, this is a tough outlook. The big swell window on the 9th-10th is the only real show, but it’s a big, powerful, long-period swell that’s more suited to a point or reef. For a beach and reef setup, this is a kite surfer’s dream, not a surfer’s. The gaps are massive, and the quality is lacking. Chalk it up to a bad run. Forecasts can change, though.

Rusty.

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