Junkyards Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks at Junkyards. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag, with some real grumpy days, a few that might be worth a paddle, and one standout that’s got my hopes up late in the game.

The overall pattern starts slow, with a big gap of poor conditions before we get a brief window of clean but small surf, and then a long stretch of nothing good until we finally see a promising pulse near the end of the forecast. The wind is going to be the main villain for a lot of this period.

The first real surf to talk about is Friday the 21st of August, but it’s a miss. Swell is 7ft from the south with a short period of 8 seconds, and the wind is a howling cross-shore from the SSE at 19 mph. The combined energy is moderate (580), but the conditions are messy with a risk of thunderstorms. It’s a poor call.

Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd actually bring cleaner conditions, with a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is marginal. Saturday morning has 10ft south swell (9 seconds) and a strong breeze from the SE at 25 mph, with very strong wave energy (1405). That’s a lot of water, but the wind is still strong enough to make it tricky. The water temperature is a warm 84°F with a very slight anomaly of -0.4°F, so it’s about average for this time of year. Sunday cleans up a bit with 6ft SSW swell and a 10-second period, with moderate energy (625), but the scores are still low. It’s surfable, but nothing to get excited about.

From Monday the 24th through to Thursday the 27th, the quality drops. A lot of poor surf conditions, with onshore and cross-onshore winds. Thursday the 27th sees a big 10ft west swell with a 12-second period (a proper groundswell), and very strong energy (2791), but the wind is a fresh cross-onshore from the WNW at 19 mph, making it a lumpy, choppy mess. That’s one for the kite surfers, not for paddle surfing.

We then hit a dry spell. From late August through to early September, the swell drops below 5ft, and while the wind turns offshore or cross-offshore, the wave energy is weak (under 200). Friday the 28th of August through to Thursday the 3rd of September offers only small, clean waves at best, but the scores are poor. It’s a long gap of nearly a week where there’s nothing worthwhile.

Now, here’s the one true standout. Friday the 4th of September. The morning session is the pick of the whole forecast. Swell jumps to 7ft from the southeast, with a very long period of 13 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell, and combined energy is strong at 1727. The wind is a moderate offshore from the east at 12 mph, which should keep the faces clean. The direction is a solid match for Junkyards’ optimum SW swell. This is a reef break, and a long period swell like this will really light up the reef, offering well-shaped, powerful waves. It’s rated as excellent for experienced surfers, and with a 7ft swell, it’s pushing into the big range, so you’ll want to be comfortable. The morning is the call, as the afternoon drops off. Saturday the 5th still has some decent leftovers, 6ft to 7ft SSE swell with a 12-13 second period and a fresh offshore breeze, but it’s not quite as clean as Friday morning.

So, to sum it up: the first week is mostly a write-off due to wind, with a few small, clean days in the middle of the second week. The real winner is Friday morning, September 4th – that’s the one to circle on your calendar. Until then, keep your stick on the rack.

Rusty

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