Onrus Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s talk about what’s shaping up for Onrus. This is a reef setup, exposed to the SW, and when it lines up, it can give you some proper wedges. It’s a spot that’s inconsistent, so you gotta be picky.

Right now, there’s nothing happening for the first few days. We’re looking at a bit of a wait. The first real chance to get wet is this Friday morning, the 28th of August. The water’s sitting at a cool 59°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing wild there. Friday morning, we’ve got a clean 4ft swell pushing in from the south, with a period of 11 seconds. The wind is glassy, off the WSW at just 3 mph. It’s going to be clean, and the wave energy is moderate, sitting at (493). It’s not huge, but for an inconsistent reef, this is a solid start.

Then Friday afternoon, the swell drops a little to 3ft, but the period stretches right out to 14 seconds from the WSW, still glassy. That long period will make for some proper lines, just a bit slower and more powerful for its size. The energy stays moderate (476). This is more of a patient surfer’s wave.

Saturday morning, the 29th, is the standout of this whole run. We’ve got 4ft of swell from the WSW, but the period is still a meaty 13 seconds, and the combined energy jumps into the strong bracket (702). The wind is glassy from the NE. That’s a recipe for clean, fat lines over the reef. Expect good quality, but remember, this is an inconsistent spot, so you might have to sit and wait for the set. Crowds can show up here sometimes, so keep an eye out.

Be aware that Saturday afternoon the wind swings to a cross-onshore, and the swell gets a bit lumpy. That’s a write-off.

Sunday the 30th, the swell bumps up to 8ft from the SW with a period of 12 seconds. That’s a lot of water, and the energy is very strong (1690). But the wind is onshore and strong, so it’s going to be messy. This is more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle session. Not the best.

Monday the 31st, the swell settles to a clean 6ft from the SW. The magic happens in the morning with a light offshore Westerly wind at 3 mph. That is a massive positive – offshore and clean on a rising tide. The energy is still strong (832). This is your second-best window.

Then we get into a big, angry patch. From Tuesday the 1st of September, the swell gets bigger and bigger, hitting 15ft on Wednesday with a period of 16 seconds (energy of 9408 – that’s extreme power), but it’s accompanied by brutal onshore winds – 22 to 28 mph. Forget about it. That’s only for the absolute experts, and even then, it’s going to be a washing machine. This phase continues through to Friday the 4th of September with 37 mph winds. Not a paddle in sight.

The second week settles down. By Saturday the 5th of September, the swell drops back to 7ft from the SE, but the wind is light cross-onshore. It’s a marginal call, and only for the keen.

The following Monday the 7th sees tiny, clean 2ft groundswell, but it’s glassy. Not worth a trip.

The last real sniff is on Thursday the 10th of September: a moderate 5ft from the SW, but we get a solid NW offshore wind at 16 mph. That will groom the reef nicely, and the energy is moderate (384). That’s a promising but less certain call that far out.

Overall, the window is narrow. Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th of August, plus Monday the 31st, are your best bets. After that, it’s either blown out or too small.

Rusty.

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