Junkyards Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way for Junkyards.

Right off the bat, things are looking pretty flat and grim. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing happening from now through Thursday, the 7th of August. The first few days are a write-off with tiny, weak swell and poor conditions. The water temp is sitting at 87°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – not a huge deal, but noticeable when you’re sitting out there waiting for a wave that isn’t coming.

The first real glimmer of something happens on Saturday morning, the 8th of August. A big, long-period groundswell from the NW starts to fill in, with waves around 18 feet. The period is 12 seconds, so it’s got some serious energy behind it (combined energy 9191). But the catch is the wind – a moderate cross-shore breeze, and there’s risk of thunderstorms. It’s gonna be a bit of a messy, bumpy beast. This is expert-only territory at that size, and the conditions will be marginal. Not a great day for the average punter.

Sunday the 9th of August is where things get truly wild, and not in a good way for paddle surfing. The swell jumps up to 30 feet from the SW on the morning, and by the afternoon it’s 34 feet from the WSW. Periods are 13-14 seconds, so it’s massive, powerful groundswell. The combined energy readings are astronomical – 25079 and 45325 – which tells you how much power is in the water. The problem is the wind: violent storm force and hurricane-force cross-onshore. That’s a no-go zone for surfboards. If you’re into kite surfing and have a death wish, maybe, but for paddle surfing, it’s a dangerous mess.

Monday the 10th of August is still huge, with 28 feet dropping to 23 feet, but the wind is still severe gale to near gale force and onshore or cross-onshore. The break is exposed and the swell is too big anyway. The combined energy is still monstrous (29151 and 19677). Forget it for surfing – that’s a survival situation.

From Tuesday the 11th of August onward, the swell starts to drop. Tuesday morning sees 10 feet from the WNW, but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore, making it lumpy and poor. Combined energy is still moderate to strong at 4696, but the quality is junk. The rest of the week and into the second week is a steady decline into tiny, weak swell with mostly cross or cross-onshore breezes. The periods drop to 8-10 seconds, energy levels fall below 1000, and most of the time it’s just not worth paddling out.

There is one small window that stands out as the best on offer, but you have to be patient. Wednesday morning, the 12th of August, the swell drops to 6 feet from the S with a light breeze and offshore wind. The combined energy is 986 – moderate but weak – and the period is 11 seconds, giving it a bit of shape. It’s still marginal, but with the wind offshore, it’ll be the cleanest session of the whole outlook. The swell is small, though, so it’s for longboards and fun shapes.

Honestly, the rest of the 16-day window is a lot of nothing. The swell is tiny, the wind is rarely good, and there’s no quality to get excited about. If you’re desperate, keep an eye on that Wednesday morning the 12th, but otherwise, it’s a blank run. It doesn’t stay poor forever, and forecasts can change, but for now, leave the boards in the car.

- Rusty

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