Shipwrecks (Nusa Lembongan) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’ve got a solid run of swell on the cards for Shipwrecks (Nusa Lembongan) over the next couple of weeks. It’s a sheltered reef break that needs a good southerly direction to light up, and the forecast is serving up plenty of that. The water temp is sitting about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

The action kicks off Monday the 20th of July. The morning is the standout early in the window: a 6 ft SSW groundswell with a very long 17-second period. The 15 mph SE wind is blowing offshore, keeping it clean and lined up. The combined energy is 2022 – that’s strong wave energy, and it’s pumping in. This is an advanced spot, so only for experienced crew. The morning sets will be long and powerful, fast down the reef.

By Monday afternoon and into Tuesday the 21st, the swell eases slightly to 5 ft, still with offshore winds, but the energy drops to 995 (moderate). Still good surf, but the morning of the 21st is the pick. Tuesday afternoon sees the wind swing cross-offshore, making it a bit sloppy.

Wednesday the 22nd morning has a smaller 4 ft SSW swell, 13-second period, but with clean offshore winds and moderate energy (588). It’s a fun size, but not the standout.

We hit a bit of a lull from Thursday the 23rd through Friday the 24th. Swell drops to under 3 ft, the energy is weak, and the wind is cross-offshore. There’s a small spike on the 24th morning with a 2 ft swell but a very long 17-second period – the energy is still only 702 (moderate), and the waves will be inconsistent. Not a recommended time.

Things pick up again on Saturday the 25th with a 4 ft SSW swell, 15-second period, and clean offshore winds in the morning. Energy is 947 (moderate). Good surf, but the real standout is coming.

Sunday the 26th morning brings a 6 ft SE swell, but the period drops to a short 8 seconds. The energy is 690 (moderate). This is a short-period windswell, so it’s going to be a bit lumpy and less powerful. The wind is nice and light offshore, so it’ll be clean, but the wave shape won’t be as good as the groundswell days.

The best of the entire run – and I mean the one to circle – is Monday the 27th of July. The morning has 5 ft SE swell, 8-second period, but the wind is glassy at just 3 mph from the ESE, straight offshore. The energy is 408 (moderate), but that light wind will make it silky smooth. But the afternoon is where it’s at: the swell picks up to 6 ft, still SE, period 8 seconds, and the wind is a solid 12 mph offshore from the ESE. The energy jumps to 761 (moderate). It’s the best combo of size and clean conditions in the whole forecast.

From Tuesday the 28th onward, the swell switches back to a long-period SSW groundswell, generally 3 ft to 5 ft, with 13-17 second periods. The wind is consistently offshore. The energy stays in the moderate range, from 694 up to 1186. The afternoon of Wednesday the 29th is a highlight – 5 ft SSW, 14-second period, with strong energy (1124) and clean offshore wind. Then Saturday the 1st of August morning has a 5 ft SW swell, 16-second period, with a gentle 9 mph offshore breeze and energy at 1186. That’s a solid groundswell pulse.

The final standout is Sunday the 2nd of August afternoon: 5 ft SW swell, 15-second period, with 12 mph offshore SE winds and energy of 1083. Very good surf.

Crowds at Shipwrecks are a factor – it’s a known spot and can get busy, especially when it’s this good. Don’t expect to have it to yourself.

So, to wrap it up: the absolute best session is the afternoon of Monday the 27th of July for clean, chest-high waves with glassy offshore wind. The next best bets are the morning of Wednesday the 29th of July and the afternoon of Sunday the 2nd of August. The rest of the time, there’s consistent surf, but it’s not all firing. Stay keen.

Rusty.

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