Junkyards Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Looking at the 16-day picture for Junkyards, I gotta tell you straight up – it’s a bit of a tale of two extremes. We’ve got a massive, dangerous swell rolling in, followed by a long, quiet stretch.

The water temp is sitting at 87°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can leave the thick rubber at home.

The first real event is a monster. Starting Friday afternoon, August 7th, a massive NW groundswell hits. We’re talking a staggering 30ft at 12 seconds from the NW, with combined wave energy through the roof (23712). This is not for the faint of heart. A 30ft swell is way beyond expert-only territory, and with hurricane-force cross-onshore winds of 78 mph, this is a full-on survival situation, not a surf session. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for anyone crazy enough.

That swell peaks Saturday, August 8th. Morning sees a 34ft S swell with a 14-second period, combined energy of 42875, and more hurricane-force cross winds. The afternoon is a 31ft SSW groundswell with a very long 15-second period, combined energy of 38603, and violent storm-force cross-shore winds. This long-period swell from the SSW is prone to breaking too straight at beach breaks, but at a reef like Junkyards it could be lined up – if you could survive the gale. These are dangerous, giant conditions. Sunday morning, August 9th, it drops to a still-enormous 23ft SSW swell with a 13-second period (15941 energy) and gale-force cross winds. Still a no-go for paddling.

By Sunday afternoon, the massive swell starts to fade but it’s blown out. Then from Monday, August 10th through the rest of the forecast, we have a long gap with poor to marginal conditions. For over a week, the swell drops to below 7ft, often below 3ft, with combined energy figures dropping from four digits down to two digits (under 100 by the end). The winds are mostly cross-onshore or choppy, making it a messy, small affair.

There is a glimmer of hope at the very end of the run. By Friday afternoon, August 21st, we see a clean, 3ft S swell with a 10-second period, moderate offshore wind from the ENE, and combined energy climbing back up to 208. The conditions are described as "good surf conditions." It’s small, but for the first time in nearly two weeks, it’s actually clean and surfable. That’s your one true standout in the entire 16-day window, but it’s a long way out and conditions are uncertain.

So, big picture: we have a massive, dangerous hurricane swell that’s unsurfable, followed by a long flat spell that’s only broken by a tiny, hopeful window on the last Friday. For a break that is fairly consistent, this kind of blank run is a real bummer. Keep an eye on that last day.

Rusty.

Read more