Pouawa Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mates, Rusty here. Let's talk about Pouawa Beach.

The next week and a half is looking pretty bleak, to be honest. We've got a long stretch of small, messy, and blown-out conditions before things finally turn on. Hold tight, because there are a couple of windows of proper surf, but you'll need to be patient and pick your moments.

The first bit of hope comes early on Thursday the 6th. It’s still small, with a 1ft swell out of the southeast, but the morning breeze is light offshore and the surf is clean. The energy is weak though, at 69. It’s more of a get-the-wax-off-your-board session than anything else.

The first real standout is Friday morning, the 7th of August. We see a bump in swell to 4ft from the southeast, with a solid 12-second period. The wind is light and offshore from the WNW, and the forecast is calling for very good surf conditions. The energy is starting to build at 520, which is moderate. This is your window for a proper surf, but be aware it could get a little crowded, as this spot is known to be fairly consistent.

The surf fades out again through the weekend and into early next week. The wind swings around to the south and then the southeast, bringing rain and onshore slop. There’s a period around the 12th where the swell jumps to 7-7ft, but it’s from a bad direction, with cross-onshore winds making it choppy and poor. Not worth the paddle.

Then, things get interesting. On the 13th of August, a new swell fills in. Thursday morning sees 5ft of southeast swell at 9 seconds, but it’s glassy – flat calm winds. It’s not huge, but clean and rideable. The energy is moderate at 460. The next day, Friday the 14th, is similar: 4ft of southeast swell, again glassy in the morning. These are good, clean, smaller-wave days.

Now, for the long-range promise. The models are showing a big one building for the third week of August. Starting Sunday the 16th, we’re looking at a solid 12ft easterly swell, and it just keeps climbing. The issue is that by the 16th and 17th, the swell is already too big for this break, even with favorable winds. The good news is that this is a long-period groundswell, over 11 seconds, which would be fantastic for a point or reef, but might close out the beach.

The window I’d circle on the calendar is Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th of August. The swell is predicted to be a massive 13ft to 15ft from the ESE, with a period of 11-12 seconds. The wind is forecast to be offshore or light, leaving the surf clean. However, the energy readings are extreme – over 4500. This is a huge, powerful, and very dangerous swell. The notes say it's "too big for this break," and they're not wrong. At this size, with this much energy, it’s not a paddle-out; it's a spectator event. Unless you're a big-wave specialist on a tow board, give it a wide berth. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it may be unsurfable at Pouawa.

So, the plan? Friday the 7th looks like the pick of the bunch for a fun, manageable surf. Then the mornings of the 13th and 14th look clean and glassy for smaller waves. Don't get tempted by the massive swell in the distance; that’s one for the photos. Stay safe out there.

Rusty.

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