Onjuku Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Onjuku over the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, the first week and a bit is a mixed bag. There are some waves around, but the conditions are often messy with that easterly swell and onshore or cross-off winds. The water temp is sitting at about 80°, which is bang average for this time of year – nothing unusual there. The real standout, the one worth circling on your calendar, is right at the tail end of the period, around the 23rd and 24th of August.

Let’s break it down. Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th have some clean morning windows with chest-high swell around 5 to 5ft from the east, with a period of 9-10 seconds giving it moderate energy (in the 450-580 range). The wind is cross-offshore, so those morning sessions will be clean. Saturday the 15th sees the swell nudge up a touch to 6ft, but the wind picks up to a moderate breeze, making the surface a bit lumpy. Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th have the best looking surf in this first stretch – Sunday morning is 6ft from the east with a cross-off north-easterly, and Monday morning bumps up to a clean 7ft from the east, period at 11 seconds giving it good energy (952). The wind is light and offshore, so you’ll get some nice clean lines. Onjuku is inconsistent though, so you’ll need to wait for the sets.

Then it goes quiet. From Tuesday the 18th through to Saturday the 22nd, the swell drops off a cliff – we’re talking knee-high to waist-high dribble, with onshore winds. That’s a solid 5-day gap of poor to flat conditions.

Now for the good stuff. On Sunday the 23rd of August, the afternoon session lights up. A solid 6ft swell from the southeast with a period of 14 seconds (very long groundswell) and the wind goes glassy – light air from the SSE. The energy jumps to 1822, so there is some serious push in the water. This is going to create some beautiful, clean, powerful waves. This is a day for experienced surfers – that 6ft is solid and the long period means it will be stacking up nicely on the banks. Monday the 24th of August morning is the absolute pick though. The swell holds at 8ft from the southeast, period stretching to 15 seconds, and the wind is glassy again. The combined energy is a massive 3288 – you are looking at some very strong, powerful surf from a true groundswell. This is expert territory, but the conditions will be pristine. After that, Tuesday the 25th gets too big – 13ft is just too much for this break, and it becomes dangerous. The rest of the week after that drops back down, with the swell fading and the winds turning onshore again.

So, if you want the best Onjuku has to offer, keep an eye on Sunday afternoon the 23rd and Monday morning the 24th of August. That’s your window for glassy, powerful groundswell. Just remember, it’s an inconsistent spot, so pick your moment.

Rusty.

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