Sanur Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, Rusty here, with a look at what’s on the cards for Sanur Reef.

Right, let’s be straight with you. For the next week and a half, Sanur Reef is not going to be offering much for a surfer. The wind is stuck in a cross-on pattern from the east and southeast, keeping the surface choppy and messy. The swell coming in from the SSW has some decent period and energy – up to 16 seconds and a combined wave energy that hits four figures, topping out at over 1700 (moderate energy) – but the wind just won’t give us a break. The reef is a sheltered spot, so it doesn’t get the full brunt of it, but it’s still enough to ruin the clean lines you’d want from a wave. The water temp is a moderate 80°, right on the norm for this time of year.

Monday the 14th through to Saturday the 21st is basically a write-off. Everything is rated poor or marginal, with scores barely registering a tickle. We’re looking at clean-looking onshore breezes of 15 to 25 km/h, which is just going to keep things textured and ugly.

There is, however, a light at the end of this tunnel. As we look out into the long-range, things get a whole lot more interesting. The standout period, if it holds, is around the 27th of September. This is a real promise, but it's a long way off so don't count your chickens.

The morning of Sunday the 27th of September, we’ve got a serious pulse of energy arriving. Swell from the SSW bumps up to 8 ft with a very long period of 20 seconds. The combined wave energy shoots up to 6648 (strong wave energy), which is a serious amount of water moving. This is groundswell, no question. This kind of long-period, strong swell is classic for this reef, but with that size – over 8 ft – this is for experts only. The kicker is the wind is still a light 15 km/h from the SE, but it’s cross-on, so the quality is still in question. Afternoon sees it pumping at 10 ft with a 19-second period and 6595 (strong) energy. Same wind issue.

Monday the 28th of September is still very solid by local standards – 8 ft SSW swell dropping slightly to a 17-second period, with energy at 3997 (strong wave energy). The wind remains that light cross-on. It’s still only rated as marginal, but by the end of the run it’s the only real, powerful surf on offer.

Look, if the wind were glassy or offshore, that long-period, heavy SSW groundswell on the 27th and 28th would be an all-time day on Sanur Reef. It’s a quiet, advanced spot, so crowds are only a possibility. As it stands, it’s a big, powerful, and punchy wave that's going to be fighting that cross-on wind. Keep an eye on the forecast in the lead-up, because if that wind backs off, this is the one to call in sick for.

Until then, it’s a frustrating stretch. The breaks are inconsistent in this setup anyway, but a blank run like this isn't unusual for a sheltered, direction-specific break like this. You’d be better off with the kite for the next week, honestly.

Rusty.

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