Onrus Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for Onrus over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, the water is sittin' at 57.4°, which is a bit colder than we're used to for this time of year. That anomaly of -2.9° is a solid reminder we're in for a bit of a chill, so don't forget the rubber.

The next sixteen days are a bit of a rollercoaster, with some absolute monsters mixed in with some real clean windows. The big story here is that we’ve got some seriously heavy, high-energy swell pulses comin' through, with combined energy readings up in the thousands, like 2650 and 3078 on the 18th and 20th of August. But here’s the thing – a lot of that juice is goin' to be too much for this reef. Onrus is a reef setup, and when the swell gets over 8.2ft, it’s for experts only. When it hits 9.8ft or more, it’s a full-on beast.

Let’s start with the early days. Tuesday the 18th is a washout for paddle surfin'. Morning brings a 7.9ft SW swell with a light onshore breeze, but the conditions are marginal. The afternoon? 9.8ft of SW groundswell with a 13-second period. The wind and tide are right, but that’s just too big for a comfortable session.

Wednesday the 19th offers a glimmer. The mornin' is still a bit messy with a cross-shore wind on that 7.9ft swell. But the afternoon? That’s where it’s at. The swell drops to a still-chunky 7.5ft from the SW, period at 12 seconds, and the wind goes light cross-offshore. This is clean, excellent surf for experienced surfers. This is your best bet for the first few days. The crowd factor here is 'sometimes', so you might have company, but that’s the price for a quality reef.

Thursday the 20th sees another spike of big energy – 9.8ft again in the mornin' – so it’s a no-go for most.

Now, if you’re an expert, hold onto your board. Saturday the 22nd of August is a standout. The afternoon delivers a massive 13.1ft SW swell with a 13-second period and combined energy of 5432. That is a serious amount of water movin'. The wind is cross-offshore and clean. This is a big, powerful, expert-only wave. It’s not for the faint of heart.

Sunday the 23rd of August is another one for the big-wave chargers. The mornin' is glassy, dead calm with a 9.8ft SW swell. Absolutely clean conditions, but again, that size is intimidatin' and for experts only. The energy readin' is 2960. It’s a beautiful, terrifyin' sight.

After that massive weekend, things settle down. Monday the 24th gives us a very nice, clean 4.6ft WSW swell with glassy conditions in the mornin'. That’s a much more user-friendly size, and the conditions are excellent.

We hit a bit of a lull mid-week. Tuesday the 25th is a write-off with strong cross-onshore wind and poor conditions. Wednesday the 26th, however, is a gem. Mornin' glass, a clean 6.2ft SW swell with a 13-second period. This is excellent for experienced surfers. The afternoon stays glassy with a 5.2ft swell. Perfect.

Thursday the 27th keeps the good vibes rollin' with a clean, cross-offshore wind and a 4.3ft WSW swell in the afternoon. Very good conditions.

Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th turn ugly again with strong onshore winds and poor conditions as a big, long-period (17-second!) WSW swell builds.

Sunday the 30th of August is another big one. A 11.5ft SW swell with a 14-second period and combined energy of 4201. The wind is cross-shore, but it’s a fresh breeze makin' it lumpy. For the experts who want power, it's there, but the quality is compromised by the wind.

Lookin' into the start of September, we finally get a prolonged period of clean, manageable waves. Monday the 31st of August and Tuesday the 1st of September are the true standouts of the entire forecast. On Monday, we have a 7.2ft SW swell with a light cross-offshore breeze. Tuesday mornin' is even better: a 6.9ft SW swell with a glassy, calm wind. Both are clean, excellent conditions for experienced surfers. This is the sweet spot – decent size, perfect wind, and good energy. The combined energy is still in the 1100-1400 range, so it’s got some punch. This is the window to circle on your calendar.

The forecast ends on a cautionary note. Wednesday the 2nd of September brings another massive 11.5ft SW swell, but this time the wind is a mess.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a mix of too big or marginal. Your early pick is Wednesday afternoon the 19th. The real gold is at the very end of August and the start of September, specifically Monday the 31st of August and Tuesday the 1st of September. Keep an eye on the long-range for those dates – they’re lookin'

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