Junkyards Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s look at what’s cookin’. Junkyards is the only spot on the menu, and the first few days are a bit of a dud. Monday the 31st of August through Tuesday the 1st of September, the swell is tiny, barely 1ft to 2ft from the south, with a moderate breeze out of the east. The water’s sitting at 83°, right about average for the time of year, so no worries there. But the wave energy is weak (138 to just 53), and the conditions are poor. Not worth wetting your wetsuit.

Things start to move on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The swell picks up to 4ft in the morning, then 7ft in the afternoon from the south-west, with a period of 10 seconds. The energy jumps to 314 and then 1249, which is a solid kick. But the wind is a fresh breeze from the east-southeast, and the forecast still calls it “poor” or “marginal” – probably the storm risk and that cross-off wind.

Thursday the 3rd of September morning looks better. The swell drops to 5ft from the SSW, period 10 seconds, and the wind eases to a light breeze from the east-southeast. The energy is a moderate 480, and the forecast says “expect good surf conditions”. That’s the first real window. But by the afternoon, the wind swings to the south-west, becoming a light cross-on, and the quality drops.

Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th are a mixed bag. The swell hangs around 4ft to 5ft from the south-southwest, but the wind is a gentle cross-breeze, so the surface isn’t as clean. The energy is moderate (240 to 445). Saturday afternoon gets a bit better with a clean forecast, but the period drops to 8 seconds.

Sunday the 6th of September morning is the first real standout. Clean, clear skies, a light east breeze giving cross-off wind, and the swell is 6ft from the south with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is 401. It’s not the biggest, but the conditions are clean, and it’s consistent. That’s your best bet in the first week – a solid, fun morning session at Junkyards.

After that, the swell fades again through Monday the 7th and Tuesday the 8th, dropping to 2ft with weak energy (32 to 113). Not worth the paddle.

Now, look out toward the second week. Wednesday the 9th of September sees a small bump, but the real action comes on Thursday the 10th of September morning. The swell builds to 4ft from the south, with a period of 11 seconds, energy 382, and a clean offshore wind from the north-east. The forecast says “expect good surf conditions”. That’s promising.

But the big one is on Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th of September. On Saturday morning, the swell hits 8ft from the SSW, period 14 seconds, and the energy is a massive 2736. The wind is a gentle cross-off from the north-northeast, so it’s clean. That’s big, powerful groundswell. At 8ft, it’s only for experienced surfers – too big for beginners. The period is long, so at a reef break like Junkyards, it’ll be lining up beautifully. By Sunday morning, it’s even bigger: 10ft from the SSW, period 13 seconds, energy 2951. The wind is a gentle offshore from the east, and the forecast says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers”. That’s the standout of the whole 16-day outlook. If you’ve got the skills, Sunday the 13th of September is the day.

After that, it eases off through Monday the 14th, with still decent 6ft from the SSW, but by Tuesday the 15th, it’s back to tiny, weak swell.

So, to wrap it up: the first few days are a bust. Sunday the 6th of September morning is a clean, fun option. But the real gem is Sunday the 13th of September – big, clean, powerful groundswell at Junkyards. Just remember, it’s for the crew who know what they’re doing. The crowds at Junkyards can show up sometimes, so get in early.

Rusty.

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