Onjuku Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are gonna be a real mixed bag here at Onjuku. I won’t lie, there’s a pretty nasty run of lumpy, wind-affected days to start things off, but if you’re patient, there are a couple of moments that might just make it worth hanging in there.

The first real window is on Friday morning, August 28th. But honestly, it’s not good. We’ve got a weak 0.7m easterly swell with a short period and a fresh cross-onshore wind from the WSW at 30 km/h. The water’s a touch warmer than normal at 28°, which is nice, but the waves are a mess—lumpy and just poor. Energy is weak, sitting at 291. Skip it.

That afternoon, the swell bumps up to 1.6m from the SW, but the period drops to a terrible 6 seconds, and we’ve only got a gentle cross-shore wind. The combined energy is moderate at 423, but direction, period, and a questionable tide mean it’s still only marginal at best.

The rest of that weekend and into the start of the week–Saturday 29th through Monday 31st–is a write-off. Tiny waves (0.4m to 0.6m), mostly onshore or cross-off winds, and just plain poor surf conditions. There’s a brief moment Sunday afternoon with glassy conditions, but the swell is only 0.5m, so you’re chasing ankle-biters.

We finally see a change on Friday, September 4th. The morning brings a clean 0.8m swell from the south, with a light cross-off breeze from the NNE at 10 km/h. Combined energy is a moderate 239. It’s not big, but the conditions are good, the wind is right, and it looks surfable. That afternoon gets even better—glassy conditions with just a whisper of wind from the ENE at 5 km/h. The swell drops slightly to 0.7m, but glassy conditions at Onjuku are rare and special. This is a solid “go surf” window, even if the waves are small.

Now, things get a bit wild. On Sunday, September 6th, a big pulse of south swell hits: 1.8m with a 14-second period. The combined energy jumps into the very strong range (1287). But the wind is a fresh cross-onshore from the SW at 30 km/h. That’s going to turn it into a choppy, lumpy mess. It’s heavy energy, but the wind ruins it. Monday the 7th is the same story—2.0m to 2.2m of south swell, but still cross-onshore or onshore wind. That kind of size with that wind makes for a difficult, scrubby session. Honestly, this setup might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The absolute standout, the one to mark on your calendar, is Friday morning, September 11th. After a brutal run of poor conditions, we get a glassy morning with a 1.5m south swell, a 9-second period, and a whisper of WNW wind at just 5 km/h. Combined energy is a solid 419. This is the best combination of size and clean conditions in the whole 16-day window. It’s going to be overhead, clean, and glassy. Get in the water early before the wind picks up and swings onshore that afternoon.

Saturday morning, September 12th, is also worth a look. A clean 0.8m groundswell from the south, light cross-off wind from the ENE, and good conditions. Energy is moderate at 205. It’s smaller than Friday, but still clean.

Overall, the first week is a slog with onshore winds and poor quality. The small windows around September 4th and September 12th are nice, but Friday, September 11th is the one. It’s a proper glassy day with real swell. Don’t sleep on it.

Rusty

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