Onjuku Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I’ve got the lowdown on what’s heading our way for Onjuku. Gotta be straight with you—this one’s a bit of a slow burner. We’re looking at a real flat and choppy spell to kick things off, so don’t bother waxing up just yet.

Things start off rough. Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th are a write-off. We’ve got a tiny 3 ft swell out of the ESE and E, but the wind is all over it—onshore and cross-onshore, making for poor, bumpy conditions. The combined energy is weak, sitting around 140 to 175 (weak energy). Not worth paddling out.

We stay in the doldrums through Saturday the 18th. The swell bumps up slightly to 3 ft from the ESE, but that cross-onshore wind is still messing it up. Wave energy is still low, in the 200s (moderate energy). Not fun.

Sunday the 19th sees a tiny glimmer. The morning brings a 4 ft ESE swell with a light onshore wind, and the combined energy climbs to 282 (moderate energy). It’s still marginal—tide might be an issue—but it’s the first time we get a score above a zero. The afternoon looks even better with clear skies and a light S breeze, keeping the 4 ft swell cleaner, but it’s still just marginal.

Monday the 20th is a tease. Morning is 4 ft from the E, light cross-onshore wind, but the energy is only 258 (moderate). The afternoon has a bigger 4 ft swell from the E with a 10-second period, and the energy jumps to 367 (moderate energy), but the wind is onshore and stronger. Still poor.

Now listen up, because Wednesday the 22nd is where things get interesting. The wind finally shifts offshore, coming out of the NE at 19 mph in the morning. We’ve got a 4 ft E swell with an 11-second period, and the energy is 396 (moderate energy). The report says “clean” for the first time. Onshore wind? Gone. This is your first real chance for some clean, lined-up waves. Thursday the 23rd morning is another standout: a 4 ft E swell, 10-second period, with a gentle ENE offshore breeze. The energy is 330 (moderate) and the surf condition is marked as “good.” That’s your best bet early on—clean, workable waves at Onjuku.

After that, it goes back to choppy onshore junk through the 24th and 25th, with small swells in the 3 ft to 4 ft range and onshore winds.

The end of the run has a big, messy swell. On Monday the 28th, we get a 6 ft swell from the S with a long 14-second period. The combined energy is a massive 1405 (strong to very strong wave energy). That’s a lot of water moving. But—and this is a big but—the winds are cross-onshore and strong, 12-19 mph. That much energy with that wind will be a lumpy, choppy mess. Too big for beginners (over 5 ft) and the wind will kill any chance of a clean face. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one at a beach break.

Overall, the one to circle is Thursday morning, July 23rd. The wind is light offshore, the swell is a manageable 4 ft from the east, and the energy is solid enough. It’ll be the cleanest wave of the whole period. It’s an exposed beach, and it’s listed as “inconsistent,” so you’ll need patience between sets, but it’s the only time the stars align. Get it while it’s good.

- Rusty

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