Onjuku Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, it’s Rusty here. Fair warning – this 16-day stretch for Onjuku is a tough one, with only a couple of brief windows that might be worth paddling out for. The first week is mostly a write-off, with messy, onshore wind and poor quality surf. There’s a big gap from the start all the way through to late in the second week before we see anything half-decent, so patience is the name of the game.

Alright, let’s get into it. The first real flicker of hope doesn’t come until Monday the 13th of July. Even then, it’s not a classic. The swell drops right off to 3ft from the SSW, with a 13-second period (moderate groundswell energy). The combined energy is weak at 332, and while the morning is tangled with a risk of thunderstorms and a light cross-shore wind, the afternoon cleans up nicely with a cross-offshore breeze from the ENE. You’ll find small, clean waves, but it’s marginal – more of a longboard or foiling session.

The real standout, and the only one I’d get excited about, is on Thursday the 23rd of July. This is the pick of the bunch. The morning brings a clean 5ft swell from the ESE, with a 11-second period and a combined energy of 786 (moderate). The wind is a near-glass-off from the east at 3 mph, making for that very good surf conditions call. The swell direction is a touch east of the optimum SSE, but it’s still workable. The water is sitting at 74°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – about 2° down, so you’ll want a decent spring suit.

The afternoon on the 23rd gets a bit tricky though. The swell jumps to 7ft from the E, with a very long 11-second period and a massive combined energy of 2262 (strong). That’s a heap of juice, but with a light cross-shore wind and a “marginal” call, it’s likely to be lumpy and hard to manage. This is more for experienced surfers only – the 7ft size and the long period can make for a close-out at beach breaks. Onjuku is an exposed beach-and-reef setup, so the long period might make it break too straight, especially if the tide isn’t cooperating.

Outside of these two sessions, the rest of the 16 days is a desert. After the 23rd, the 24th and 25th have clean winds but the swell drops back to 3-4ft, and the energy is weak to moderate. The ratings are poor to marginal, so it’s not worth chasing hard. The big gap between the 13th and the 23rd is about 10 days of mostly poor conditions, which is a long wait for not much reward.

Bottom line: if you’re keen, aim for the morning of Thursday the 23rd of July. That’s your best bet. The rest of the period is a lesson in patience.

Rusty.

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