Junkyards Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’ve got Junkyards on the table, and honestly, the next two weeks are a mixed bag. The overall pattern is a big pulse of powerful, messy swell early on, followed by a long wait for cleaner, smaller conditions. The water temp is sitting at 84°, which is bang on average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The real story starts on Thursday the 20th. The afternoon sees a cross-off breeze and a clean 4 ft swell from the S, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is moderate at 201. It’s surfable, but nothing to write home about – the forecast calls it marginal, so don’t expect perfection.

Friday the 21st is where it gets gnarly. The swell jumps up fast, with morning energy at 219 and a 4 ft S swell, but the wind is howling from the ESE at 25 mph. By the afternoon, it’s a beast: 12 ft from the SE at 8 seconds, with a massive combined energy of 1973. The wind is a near gale at 31 mph. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s going to be a washing machine. Honestly, with that much wind and chop, it’s looking more interesting for kite surfing than a clean paddle session.

Saturday the 22nd is the peak of the event. Morning brings 13 ft of SSE swell at 10 seconds, with a combined energy of 2799. The wind is still a strong 25 mph cross-off. This is a serious, powerful, stormy groundswell. For a reef break like Junkyards, that long period (10 seconds) will bring some proper, heavy lines, but with that wind, it’ll be a battle. Afternoon drops to 10 ft, but it’s still a grinder.

The standout window, if you ask me, is Tuesday the 25th. The swell has dropped to a clean 4 ft from the S, with a 9-second period. The combined energy is 262. The magic is the wind: light offshore from the E at 12 mph. That’s offshore, clean, and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” It’s not huge, but for a reef like Junkyards, that’s a perfect, fun, rippable size. The morning is the call.

From Wednesday the 26th onward, the swell fades and the wind shifts around. We get a few days of 3 ft to 4 ft S swell, but the wind is mostly cross-off or light, so it’s ordinary. The consistency is there, but the quality is flat. Thursday the 28th and Friday the 29th are small and weak, with combined energy dropping below 200. By the end of the first week of September, the wind is howling again from the N at gale force, and the swell is small and messy. There’s a long gap of poor conditions from the 28th right through to the 4th of September.

So, the best bet is Tuesday the 25th. It’s the cleanest, most surfable wave in the whole period. After that, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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