Nusa dua Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here with a long look at what’s shakin’ for Nusa Dua.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this isn’t a week for perfection. The wind is the main issue. It’s pretty much stuck in a cross-onshore or cross pattern for the whole run, which will keep the surface a bit bumpy and chopped up. We’ve got a solid, consistent SSW groundswell pushing through the whole 16 days, with a lot of energy behind it – the combined energy readings are mostly in the strong range (values between 1522 and 2962). The problem is it’s rarely clean.

Let’s start on Sunday the 6th. The swell is up around 6 ft with a 14-second period from the SSW, but it’s a cross-onshore 12 mph wind, so it’s gonna be choppy. The water's a warm 80°, which is right on the money for this time of year.

The week of September 7th looks similar. The swell holds in the 5 ft to 8 ft range, with the period getting up to a very long 19 seconds on Tuesday the 8th. That’s serious groundswell energy (2582). But again, the wind stays cross-onshore. This long-period swell is better suited for a point or reef than a beach, but with the wind, it’s a grinding struggle.

Now, a bit of a tease on Wednesday the 9th. The wind eases to a light cross-shore breeze and we see a cross-shore state, with the swell at 8 ft (16-second period) in the morning and 7 ft in the afternoon. Energy levels are pumping (2903 and 2368). This is the closest we get to a window of semi-decent conditions, but it’s still listed as marginal. This is the pick of the first week, but hold your expectations.

After that, it’s more of the same through the second week and into the third. The swell continues to roll in from the SSW, often over 7 ft, but the wind stays predominantly cross-onshore from the ESE or SE. We get a brief spell of offshore wind on the morning of Monday the 14th, but the conditions are listed as unknown, and it’s still a marginal call. The 20th and 21st of September look like the biggest swells of the run, with 8 ft and 8 ft on offer, but the wind is still cross-onshore.

For the seasoned surfer, the standout is Wednesday the 9th. The light wind and that long-period, high-energy SSW groundswell will give you some grunty walls, but be prepared for it to be a bit straight on the takeoff because of the period. It’s a reef break, so it handles the period well, just don’t expect it to be perfect. Crowds are “often” an issue at Nusa Dua, and with a solid swell, expect a lineup of chargers.

On the 20th and 21st of September, that swell is over 8 ft. That’s expert territory. Combined with the persistent wind, this setup looks more interesting for a kite than a paddle. For most of us, this is a 16-day stretch where you’ll have to work for anything clean.

Rusty.

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