Onrus Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about Onrus. This is a reef break, open to the south-west swell, and it’s an inconsistent one – so when it fires, it’s worth the wait. The water is sitting at 60°, which is right around normal for this time of year.

The week kicks off proper on Wednesday the 22nd. We’ve got a solid 7ft SW groundswell rolling in with a 12-second period, and a cross-off wind from the WNW at 9 mph. The combined energy is strong at 1202, and the waves are clean. This is excellent for experienced surfers – the size is a bit much for beginners, but for those with the skills, it’s a good morning. That afternoon the wind picks up to 16 mph from the west, still cross-off, but the swell drops a touch to 6ft, and the tide might mess with the shape a little.

Thursday the 23rd morning brings a bit of light rain, but the wind turns offshore from the NW at 12 mph, which is a major positive. The swell is 8ft from the WSW with an 11-second period, and the energy jumps to 1751. This is still for experienced surfers only, but the conditions are clean and the offshore wind will make for some lined-up waves. The afternoon sees a bigger energy spike to 2030, but the wind goes cross-off again, and the tide gets questionable.

Now, Friday the 24th is a standout. Early morning, it’s clear skies, a gentle breeze from the NE at 9 mph, cross-shore, and the swell is a solid 10ft from the SW with a very long period of 15 seconds. The combined energy is a massive 4054. This is big, powerful groundswell – the kind that makes the reef sing. However, at this size, it’s only for experts. The long period also means it’ll be breaking quite straight, which is a caveat for the reef, but the quality of the energy is undeniable. The afternoon is similar, with a 10ft swell and 14-second period, but the wind swings to a light cross-on from the south at 3 mph, which is still manageable.

Saturday the 25th sees the swell drop to 7ft, but the wind is cross-on from the east, making it choppy. The vibe is marginal. Sunday the 26th, however, is a gem. Morning brings glassy conditions – wind from the south at 0 mph. The swell is 6ft from the SW, 11-second period, and the energy is 1252. This is clean, punchy, and for the experienced surfer, it’s a beautiful session. The afternoon gets a cross-on breeze again, spoiling it a bit.

Then we hit a major gap. From Monday the 27th all the way through to Saturday the 1st of August, the conditions are poor. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore, often strong, and the swell is either too big with bad wind or too small. The energy stays high for a few days but it’s all windblown and messy. The surf is not worth paddling out for. This is a long stretch of nothing.

The action returns on Sunday the 2nd of August. The swell is back to 4ft to 5ft, period of 12 seconds, but the wind is cross-on and light. It’s marginal, but there’s a chance of a few crumbly waves. Monday the 3rd morning is better: a clean 4ft from the WSW with a cross-off breeze from the NNE at 6 mph. The energy is low at 336, but it’s clean and small. A good option for a longboard.

Tuesday the 4th is interesting. The morning is messy with a short-period 5ft S swell, but the afternoon is a standout in the second week. The wind goes cross-off from the north at 3 mph, the swell is 4ft from the SSW with a 14-second period, and the energy is 1318. Clean, lined-up, and for the experienced surfer, it’s a solid session. Wednesday the 5th has strong offshore winds (25 mph from the NW) which will make the surface perfect but paddling in will be a battle. The swell is 6ft, and it’s clean but hard work.

The best of the second week is Thursday the 6th of August. Morning, glassy conditions, wind from the NE at 3 mph, and a 4ft SSW swell with a 12-second period. The energy is 529, the waves are clean, and it’s very good. For the size, it’s a great pick for an intermediate. The afternoon gets a light cross-shore breeze, still okay.

Overall, the true standout is Friday the 24th of July for the experts – that massive, long-period groundswell with clean winds is a rare treat. For the rest of us, Sunday the 26th morning and Thursday the 6th of August morning are the best windows for clean, manageable waves. The gap from the 27th to the 1st is a real bummer, but that’s Onrus for you – when it’s inconsistent, it really goes quiet.

Rusty.

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