Onjuku Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s size up the surf situation at Onjuku.

It’s a slow burner. First few days are small and messy, but the back half of the two weeks pulls a couple of absolute crackers if you’ve got the nerve.

September 1st kicks off with a knee-high 3ft wave from the east-southeast at 11 seconds. Wind’s side-shore, so it’s a bit grovelly. Water’s 80°F, right on average for the time of year. The real first chance for a clean wave comes Wednesday morning, September 2nd—still only 3ft, but the wind goes glassy. Combined energy is weak at 208, so it’s a small-wave board day.

Thursday and Friday the 3rd and 4th give us a brief window: Friday afternoon shows a 4ft wave from the south with a gentle offshore wind and clean conditions. Energy is moderate at 335. Not huge, but workable.

Then we hit the doldrums. From September 5th through the 8th, the wind is cranking 25-30 mph and the sea state is ugly. Swell grows to 6-7ft by the 8th, but it’s onshore and lumpy. Energy hits over 1000 (1102, 1195), but the quality is garbage. This is more for kite surfers than paddle surfers.

Now, mark your calendar. Wednesday September 9th morning is the one. Swell pumps to a solid 10ft from the south-southeast, period a clean 11 seconds, and the wind is dead calm—glassy. Combined energy is massive at 1909. This is a serious groundswell. With that height and period, it’s for experts only. Onjuku is open to that SSE direction, so it’ll be stacking up proper. Crowds are a possibility, so get there early.

Thursday September 10th morning keeps the magic going: another 10ft from the SSE, period stretching to 12 seconds, and a light offshore/cross-off wind keeping things smooth. Energy is 2255. Another day for the brave.

After that, the wind shifts onshore and the quality drops off, even though the swell hangs around. From September 13th to the 16th, we get smaller surf (3-5ft) but with very long periods up to 17 seconds. That kind of swell can be tricky at a beach break—tends to jack up and close out. The wind stays clean and cross-off, so it’s a pretty sight, but the shape will be better on a point or reef.

Best call: hit September 9th and 10th hard for the big, clean groundswell. Everything else is either small, blown, or too long-period to do much at Onjuku.

Rusty.

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