Onjuku Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’re looking at Onjuku for the next sixteen days, and honestly, this one’s a bit of a slow burner. The first couple of days are a write-off, but there’s a big pulse of energy coming through that’s worth keeping an eye on, even if it gets a bit wild.

Right now, on Saturday morning, we’ve got a tiny 2ft SSW swell, but it’s coming in with a cross-on breeze and a short period. The water’s sitting at 80°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there. The combined energy is weak (95), and the surf is poor. Don’t bother getting wet just yet.

Sunday morning shows a bit more promise. The swell picks up to 4ft from the SE, with a long 16-second period, and a cross-off wind from the NE. The energy jumps to a moderate 697, and the conditions are clean. It’s not a standout, but it’s a start. Sunday afternoon gets a little bigger at 4ft, but the wind picks up to 19 mph, so it’s still just a marginal session.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Monday morning through to Tuesday afternoon, the swell really starts to muscle up. Monday morning sees 6ft from the SE, and by Tuesday afternoon we’re looking at 13ft from the SE. The combined energy is absolutely thumping – 8089 on Tuesday afternoon, and it climbs to 9100 by Wednesday afternoon. That’s strong to very strong energy. The wind is cross-off and clean, and the tide and wind are favorable, but here’s the catch – at 13ft, this is expert-only territory. It’s going to be too big for most, and the swell direction (SE) isn’t the optimum SSE that Onjuku likes to see for its best shape. The long period (16 seconds) will make it a powerful, straight-up beast at a beach break, so it’s more for the pros or maybe even the kite crew.

The best on offer? Honestly, for the average surfer, I’d be looking at Monday the 10th of August. The morning session has a 7ft swell from the E, a fresh offshore wind from the NNE at 22 mph, and the combined energy is a solid 2091. The wind is described as “fresh offshore and clean,” which is a major positive. The period is 14 seconds – a nice groundswell that should have some punch without being unmanageable. It’s not huge, but it’s the most user-friendly size with the best wind in the whole window. The break is inconsistent, which is normal here, so you might have to be patient for the sets.

The rest of the second week is a bit of a mixed bag. From Thursday the 6th, the swell stays big (8ft to 12ft) but the wind turns cross and onshore, with thunderstorms and chop. The energy is still high, but the quality drops. By the following weekend, the swell fades back to 4ft to 5ft, but the period drops to 8-10 seconds, which is short and weak. The energy is weak (298-475). It’s a bit of a flat end to the run.

So, bottom line: the first few days are a wash. The big stuff mid-week is for experts only. The standout session for most of us is Monday morning, August 10th – clean offshore winds, a solid 7ft E swell, and a decent 14-second period. Get on it if you can. The rest is either too big, too windy, or too small.

Rusty, signing off.

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