Onjuku Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s heading our way for Onjuku in the coming days. This 16-day window starts off pretty quiet, with a few clean windows that are worth paddling out for, but you’ve got to pick your moments. We’ll start on Tuesday the 1st of September with some small but fun energy, then work through it. The real standout is the morning of Tuesday the 8th of September, when conditions come together properly – that’s the session to circle on the calendar.

Tuesday morning the 1st of September kicks things off with some clouds and a light ENE wind that’s cross-offshore – that’s clean water right off the bat. Swell is 3ft coming out of the ESE with a period of 12 seconds, so you’ve got a touch of groundswell, not just wind-chop. Combined energy is 314 (moderate), and the water is sitting at 82°, a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Onjuku is exposed to this direction, and the optimum swell is from the SSE – this is close enough to deliver. It’s not big, but it’s clean, and it’s a fun little start.

Tuesday afternoon stays similar – still 3ft, still clean, wind stays light. Onjuku is inconsistent, so don’t expect bomb sets, but for a small-wave day, this is as good as it gets.

From Wednesday the 2nd through Sunday the 6th of September, conditions go downhill. Onshore winds, cross-chop, some rain and even risk of storms. Swell drops to 2–2ft with short periods around 8 seconds – just weak, messy stuff. The energy dips as low as 58 (weak) by Sunday morning the 6th. I wouldn’t bother with a board those days – it’s mostly blown out or just too small to matter.

Then Monday the 7th of September brings a big shift. The swell jumps to 6ft from the ENE with a very short period of 6 seconds – that’s windswell, not the good stuff – and the combined energy rockets to 444 (moderate). Morning has a strong offshore wind from the NNE at 30 km/h, which cleans it up, but the short period means waves will be lumpy and hard to read. Monday afternoon is better with lighter cross-off wind from the NW and 6ft from the ESE – still short period at 7 seconds, but the texture is clean. It’s a marginal call – you might get a few, but don’t expect quality.

Now the standout: Tuesday the 8th of September, morning. This is the one. Glassy conditions – absolute zero wind – with 8ft swell out of the SSE at 10 seconds. Combined energy is 1412 (strong). That’s proper groundswell, and the period is long enough to hold shape. At 8ft, this is for experienced surfers only – it’s too big for beginners. Onjuku is a beach break, and with that long period, it might break a bit straight, but with glassy conditions, the sandbanks should line up some makeable walls. Crowds can be an issue here sometimes, so get there early.

Tuesday afternoon the 8th gets a bit messier as the wind turns onshore – 10ft from SSE but shorter period and cross-shore chop. Not the same quality.

Wednesday the 9th of September sees huge swell – 13ft in the morning and 12ft in the afternoon, both from the SSE with a 12-second period. Combined energy is off the charts (4710 morning, 3666 afternoon). The forecast says it’s too big for Onjuku – this is a break that can’t handle that much water. Even with cross-off wind, it’ll be a washing machine. Experts only if you’re brave, but I’d give it a miss.

From Thursday the 10th through the end of the window, conditions turn sour with strong onshore winds – up to 31 mph – and messy, blown-out waves. The 15th of September sees a massive 18ft swell with onshores again – a dangerous, ugly combo. By the 16th, it’s still poor with onshore wind and choppy water.

To sum it up: the first two days offer clean small waves, then a handful of quiet days. The real highlight is the glassy morning of Tuesday the 8th of September with 8ft SSE groundswell – get on it if you can handle the size. After that, it’s either too big or too messy. Onjuku doesn’t fire often, but when it does, it reminds you why you surf.

Rusty.

Read more