Padang Padang Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a solid run of swell lining up at Padang Padang, but it’s a spot that demands respect. This is a powerful reef break, inconsistent, and it’s for advanced surfers only. The water’s sitting at 79.2°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The action kicks off on Thursday, 6th August, but it’s a bit of a slow start. The morning session has a clean 6.9ft SSW swell with a 17-second period, which is proper long-period groundswell—perfect for this reef. But the wind is a cross-off at 19 mph, making things a little tricky. The energy is strong (2581), but it’s a marginal session. The afternoon cleans up nicely with a solid offshore wind at 16 mph, and the wave quality improves.

Friday, the 7th, is where it starts to get interesting. The swell bumps up to 8.2ft from the SSW, period at 17 seconds, and the wind is offshore all day. The energy is pumping (3345 in the morning, 3610 in the afternoon). This is excellent, powerful surf, but at 8.2ft, it’s really only for the experienced crew. Saturday the 8th holds similar conditions, though there’s a chance of rain showers in the morning. Still, clean offshore winds and 7.5-7.9ft swell keep it in the excellent category.

Sunday the 9th sees the swell dip a touch to 6.9ft, and the morning is a bit marginal due to tide, but the afternoon turns it on again with offshore wind and clean waves. Then things get really good. Monday the 10th is a standout. The morning brings a 6.6ft swell, but the period jumps to a massive 19 seconds, and the wind is light offshore from the SSE. The energy is very strong (4315). This is going to be lined-up, glassy perfection. The afternoon, however, pushes the swell to 9.8ft, which is a big step up. The wind goes cross-off, and the energy is huge (5749), but it’s a marginal call for tide. Still, for the experienced surfer, the morning session on Monday 10th is the pick of the early run.

From Tuesday the 11th through to Wednesday the 19th, the swell stays solid, mostly in the 7.5ft to 9.8ft range, with periods between 15 and 17 seconds, and nearly every session has offshore winds. The energy readings are consistently in the very strong range (over 3000, often over 5000). There’s another true standout on Thursday the 13th of August: a 11.5ft SSW swell with a 17-second period and light offshore winds in the morning. That’s a massive, powerful groundswell with energy reading 6596. This is a serious, heavy day for the experts only. The Saturday the 15th also offers a 8.2ft swell with a 17-second period and light winds, a real gem.

The second week holds up well. The swell doesn’t drop below 5.2ft, but the wind does get stronger. From Sunday the 16th, the wind is a fresh 19 mph offshore, which will groom the waves but make it a bit more challenging. The energy stays high, with 6.6-8.2ft SSW swell. By Wednesday the 19th, the swell is back to 8.2ft and the period is a punchy 16-17 seconds, with moderate offshore winds, giving excellent conditions for the experienced.

The final few days, from Wednesday the 20th, show a slight drop in quality. The wind turns more cross-off, and the swell period holds at 16-17 seconds, but the morning of the 20th has a 8.2ft SSW swell with light, cross-off winds and very strong energy (4123). It’s still clean, but the “excellent” tag is for the morning. The wind picks up again on the 21st, but the 8.2ft swell sticks around.

The best of the best? Without a doubt, the morning of Monday the 10th of August, with that 6.6ft, 19-second groundswell and light offshore glass, and the morning of Thursday the 13th of August, with the 11.5ft, 17-second monster. Those are the sessions to circle on the calendar. Crowds are sometimes an issue at Padang, so get there early. This is a spot that doesn’t break often, but when it does, it’s world-class.

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