Surf Forecasts:
Junkyards surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 3AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, SE swell with 1,375 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 6AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Junkyards this week:
The surf forecast for Junkyards over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 6AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 7s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Junkyards in the next 16 days are 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 3AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.0m 9s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 12AM.
| Wave Type | Time (JST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 6AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 6AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 3AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Junkyards over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here, lookin' at the stretch ahead for our little corner of the rock. Gotta be straight with you – this is gonna be a tough run. The first week or so is a real struggle, with only tiny, wind-affected slop and then a weird spike in size that’s just gonna be a mess. We’re talkin’ days of onshore chop and nothing you’d paddle out for. The good news? There’s a wild card right at the very end, but it’s for the absolute experts only.
Alright, let’s start this painful story. Monday the 17th kicks off with a tiny 2ft SW swell at Junkyards, but it’s cross-off and the report says “poor surf conditions.” A combined energy of just 83 (weak) tells you all you need to know. Tuesday the 18th is a little better with some offshore wind, but the swell is even smaller at 2ft. It’s “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” The next day, Wednesday the 19th, the wind picks up to 22 mph and it’s a risk of thunderstorms with the swell dropping to 1.0ft – forget it.
Then we get a weird spike. Thursday the 20th morning brings a 8ft swell from the SE, with moderate wave energy (1022), but the wind is a cross-off from the SSE and there’s a risk of t-storms. The comment says it’s “marginal.” The afternoon gets worse with a cross-shore wind and chop. That’s the start of a really ugly pattern. Friday the 21st has 10ft waves from the SSE, but it’s a solid cross-onshore wind at 16 mph, making it “poor surf conditions” with chop. The combined energy is way up (1097 and 1202), but the wind is just trashing it. Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd are more of the same – 8ft and 5ft, but all with cross-onshore winds. At this size and in this wind, Junkyards would look better for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.
We hit a dead zone from the 24th of August through to the 31st. The swell drops away to nothing, with heights from 4ft down to flat. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the combined energy is pitiful – often below 100. The forecast just says “poor surf conditions” day after day. It’s a real drought, and for an area like this, a blank run is pretty normal when the winds are this stubborn.
Now, here’s the one that gets your heart thumping. On Tuesday the 1st of September, the forecast throws up a massive 33ft SE swell with a very long period of 14 seconds. The combined energy is a colossal 37,801 – that’s very strong. The wind is a fresh to strong offshore from the ENE at 22-25 mph. That combo is textbook for a clean, scary day. But, the internal note says it all: “the swell is predicted to be too big for this break.” This is for experts only – if you’re not a seasoned charger, don’t even think about it. That long-period groundswell on a reef like Junkyards will be a wall of water. It’s a long-range call, so treat it as promising but uncertain.
So the best on offer is that monster on September 1st, but it’s a gated community for the brave. Other than that, the pickings are slim. The water temp on the 17th was 84°F, which is about average for this time of year, so at least it’ll be warm while you’re sitting there frustrated.
Stay patient, and keep an eye on that September swell.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 33mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 30°C on Thu morning, min 26°C on Wed afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 56mm), heaviest during Thu night. Warm (max 30°C on Sat morning, min 26°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 8 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SE 9 | SE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 8 | SSW 9 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
74 | 77 | 35 | 34 | 35 | 18 | 11 | 11 | 899 | 967 | 987 | 1033 | 1202 | 868 | 842 | 625 | 415 | 341 | 273 | 256 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 10:07PM2.08m | 10:34AM1.85m | 10:36PM2.01m | 11:19AM1.67m | 11:07PM1.91m | 12:19PM1.50m | 11:42PM1.80m | 2:15PM1.40m | 00:33AM1.69m | 5:17PM1.48m | 2:15AM1.61m | 6:02PM1.61m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:00PM0.62m | 4:31AM0.58m | 4:28PM0.80m | 5:13AM0.66m | 4:55PM0.98m | 6:04AM0.75m | 5:24PM1.15m | 7:13AM0.83m | 6:02PM1.32m | 8:53AM0.84m | 8:41PM1.43m | 10:25AM0.77m | 11:03PM1.37m | |||||||
— | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
7:04 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | — | 6:58 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 44 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
Temp °C | 29 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 27 |
Feels °C | 32 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 8 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SSW 8 | SE 9 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SW 9 | ENE 9 | SW 11 | E 14 | SW 10 | SSW 9 | SE 10 | SE 10 | E 10 |
74 | 77 | 35 | 34 | 35 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 899 | 12 | 11 | 64 | 16 | 43 | 4 | 64 | 415 | 15 | 15 | 17 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 10 | E 10 | S 7 | S 7 | S 7 | S 8 | S 8 | SW 8 | SW 9 | — | — | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | ENE 8 | ENE 9 | E 9 | SE 10 | E 9 | E 9 | SSE 9 |
71 | 48 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 12 | — | — | 24 | 8 | 7 | 16 | 6 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 7 | S 7 | SE 10 | SE 10 | — | S 8 | — | — | SW 9 | — | — | — | — | E 14 | — | ENE 9 | E 9 | ESE 13 | E 14 | E 13 |
9 | 9 | 16 | 16 | — | 1 | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | 16 | 6 | 18 | 15 | 14 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 9 | SSW 7 | SE 10 | SSE 9 | SSE 8 | SSE 8 | S 8 | S 9 | S 8 | S 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 8 |
16 | 43 | 114 | 115 | 312 | 496 | 406 | 1146 | 99 | 967 | 987 | 1033 | 1202 | 868 | 842 | 625 | 157 | 341 | 273 | 256 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 619 | 827 | 609 | 609 | 601 | 601 | 609 | 609 | 77 | 601 | 609 | 609 | 601 | 24 | 77 | 77 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Okinawa | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the Junkyards Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Junkyards provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Junkyards can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Junkyards surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Junkyards) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Junkyards may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Junkyards is 5 km (3 miles) from Misato. If you plan a holiday in Okinawa, look for hotels and other accommodation in Misato. Misato has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











