Onrus Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking at Onrus. This reef setup is normally exposed to a SW swell, and it likes a good SW direction. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about in terms of a warm or cold spike.

The pattern is a bit of a slow burner for the first week. There’s a gap of pretty ordinary surf from today, Friday the 21st of August, right through the weekend. Friday is a write-off – cross-onshore wind and a messy 6ft SW swell (combined energy of 1320) making for a choppy, unpleasant session. Saturday morning is the first real sniff of something decent. We get a clean 4ft SSW swell with a solid 12-second period and offshore wind from the WNW. It’s not huge, but the quality will be there for a few clean waves. The combined energy is moderate (646). The wind shifts cross-off in the afternoon, which is still clean, but the swell drops a touch.

Sunday is a bit of a tease. The swell is building – 8ft and 7ft from the SW with a nice 13-second period (combined energy of 1729 and 1457), but a light cross-onshore wind from the east and south-southeast will put a bit of a ripple on the face. It’s still rideable, but it won’t be glassy. Monday and Tuesday are both average to poor, with Tuesday seeing a big 8ft SW groundswell (14-second period, combined energy over 2100) but ruined by a strong onshore wind. The first half of the week is a bit of a washout, honestly.

Now, a few days of quiet before the real standout. Thursday the 27th of August is a cracker. Morning brings a light cross-offshore wind and a 4ft S swell (10-second period, combined energy 552). It’s not a big wave, but the afternoon gets glassy – a light southerly breeze, dead calm. That’s the best clean surf of the first week. The size is small, but the quality will be perfect for a longboard or a fun mid-length.

The standout of the entire forecast is Saturday the 29th of August. The swell is 5ft from the WSW with a very long 14-second period (combined energy of 1335). The wind is a moderate cross-offshore from the west. This is a proper groundswell with serious energy, and it’s going to hold up well at this reef. The waves will be well-shaped, with long lines and decent power. It’s an intermediate-level spot, and this size is perfect for a good session. The morning is the pick, as the afternoon gets a bit more cross-onshore.

Looking further ahead, the following week is a mixed bag. Monday the 31st of August is a write-off with strong onshore winds. Tuesday the 1st of September afternoon is a highlight: a clean 6ft SW swell with a 13-second period and light cross-offshore wind (combined energy of 1078). That’s another excellent window for experienced surfers, as the waves will be clean and have good shape.

Then we get to the big impact. From Wednesday the 3rd of September, the swell goes absolutely mental. We’re talking 15ft to 18ft SW groundswells with periods of 14 to 15 seconds (combined energy readings of 10,647 to 24,957). This is far too big for Onrus. The wind might be okay, but the swell size is only for the absolute elite, or more likely, not safe to paddle at all. It’s a pass for most of us.

So, to wrap it up: the best of the best is Saturday morning the 29th of August – a clean, solid groundswell with good wind. The second best is Thursday afternoon the 27th for a glassy, small-wave session. Don’t bother with the first few days or the giant stuff in the first week of September.

Rusty.

Read more