Junkyards Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your wetsuit – Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for your next 16 days. Let’s cut through the noise.

We’re looking at a slow start, but there’s some fire in the distance. The first week is mostly a write-off for anything decent, but hold the line for the second weekend. That’s the real story.

Kicking off Sunday the 30th of August, Junkyards is on offer with a 4 ft swell out of the SSW, period around 9 seconds. The wind is a cross-off from the ESE at 16 mph, so it’ll be clean but the energy is weak – combined energy is only 203. It’s marginal, and the score reflects that. A bit of a nothing-burger.

Through Monday and Tuesday the 31st of August and 1st of September, it gets worse. We drop right down to 3 ft. The wind stays cross-off or offshore, but the swell is small and weak. By Tuesday afternoon on the 1st, we see a spike to 6 ft from the SSW with a period of 11 seconds and energy jumping to 817, but it’s paired with a risk of thunderstorms and a fresh 19 mph cross-off breeze. Still a pass.

Wednesday the 2nd of September sees the swell jump big – 10 ft to 12 ft from the S, period 10-11 seconds. That combined energy hits 2708-2856, which is strong. But here’s the catch: the wind is still a fresh cross-off from the SE at 16-19 mph, and with that size, Junkyards being a reef setup is a tricky beast. This is getting into expert territory with that stormy vibe. Not the one.

From Thursday the 3rd right through to Wednesday the 9th of September, it’s a desert. Swells between 1 ft and 6 ft, weak energy (most under 200), and a mix of cross-off and offshore winds that are often too strong – including near gale-force gusts. The waves are just gutless or blown out. A long gap of about a week where you don’t even bother looking.

But then, on Friday the 11th of September, things get interesting. The morning shows a 4 ft SSE swell with a notably long period of 13 seconds. That’s groundswell, packing a punch with energy at 546. The wind? Dead calm – glassy conditions. The report says “expect very good surf conditions.” A standout, but be aware: that long 13-second period means it’ll be lining up best on the reef and won’t be a dumpy beachie. Clean, consistent lines.

Saturday the 12th of September is a flatline – zero swell.

Then the big one hits on Sunday the 13th of September. We’re talking a massive 21 ft swell from the west, period 12 seconds, and a combined energy of 11,924. That is a wall of water. For context, anything over 8 ft is expert-only, and this is way beyond. The wind is a manageable cross-off from the north at 16 mph, but the data explicitly says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break. Monday the 14th is still a hefty 10 ft from the NW with 13-second period and 3178 energy, but still only marginal due to size and wind.

The standouts: Friday morning on the 11th of September is your best window for a clean, manageable session – glassy, 4 ft from the SSE with lovely long period. The one to really circle is Sunday morning the 13th of September if you are an expert looking for a beast, but Junkyards is a reef and 21 ft is a massive commitment. That Friday is the true jewel in the crown.

Rusty.

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