Shipwrecks (Nusa Lembongan) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid run of surf lined up for Shipwrecks on Nusa Lembongan, starting right from this Saturday morning, 12 September. This is a sheltered reef break that needs a south-west swell to really light up, and that’s exactly what’s showing. The water’s sitting at 80°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there. The combined swell energy coming in is strong – 1285 – and that’s from a good SSW pulse with a nice 14-second period. That long period means proper groundswell, good shape, and those longer lulls between sets, which helps with paddling out. The morning wind is light offshore from the ESE at 15 km/h, so the surface will be glassy and clean. With swell around 4 ft, it’s solid but not too big for most experienced surfers – just keep in mind this is an advanced spot, and it can get crowded sometimes.

Saturday afternoon holds up with 4 ft SW swell, but the wind picks up to 20 km/h, still offshore though, so it stays clean. Sunday morning, 13 September, is an absolute standout. The swell bumps up to 4 ft from the SW, period jumps to 18 seconds – that’s very long period groundswell – and the energy hits 1566. Wind is light offshore from the SE at 15 km/h. For a reef break like Shipwrecks, that long period will draw out some proper lines. This is the best on offer in the first week. Sunday afternoon sees the swell jump to 6 ft, but the wind goes cross-offshore, making it a bit tricky, especially with the increased size – that’s getting into expert territory.

Monday morning, 14 September, still good with 5 ft and offshore wind, but the energy drops to 976. The trend continues through Tuesday and Wednesday mornings with 5 ft SW swell and clean offshore winds, keeping the quality high. Thursday morning, 17 September, pumps again with 6 ft SSW swell, 14-second period, and moderate offshore wind – energy at 1175, another very good session.

We hit a bit of a lull from Friday 18 through Saturday 19 September – swell drops to 4–4 ft, winds go cross-offshore, and energy dips under 900. Still surfable and clean, just not firing.

Then Sunday 20 September brings a real standout for the second week. Morning has 6 ft SW swell, 16-second period, and light offshore wind from the SE at 15 km/h. Energy is 1822 – that’s strong wave energy. The afternoon stays clean with cross-offshore wind. This one’s big enough to be for advanced surfers only. Monday 21 September keeps the run going with 5 ft SW swell and gentle offshore winds both morning and afternoon – energy around 1049, very consistent.

Tuesday 22 September is smaller again at 4 ft, but the wind stays offshore, so still worth a paddle. Wednesday 23 September is another highlight: 6 ft SSW swell, 16-second period, offshore wind all day, energy over 1800 in the morning. That’s a solid groundswell, perfect for the reef.

Thursday 24 September morning holds 5 ft SSW, 15-second period, gentle offshore wind – energy 1215, very good. Then from Friday 25 through Saturday 26 September, the swell backs off to 4–4 ft with cross-offshore winds, but Sunday 27 September finishes the run strong with 5–6 ft SSW swell and 16-second period, cross-offshore wind, energy around 1496. The afternoon gets a bit marginal, but the morning is worth it.

Crowds at Shipwrecks are sometimes an issue, but with this much swell over so many days, there’s plenty of waves to go around. The long period swells are perfect for this reef – they won’t close out like they would at a beach break. For beginners, keep an eye on the days when the swell is 5 ft and under – anything over that is getting too big. The standout days are Sunday 13 September morning and Sunday 20 September morning – those are the ones to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

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