Wanjapu Surf Forecast and Surf Report

IMPERIAL

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a bit of a mixed bag for the next couple of weeks at Wanjapu. This reef break is a consistent spot and exposed to the southwest swell, so there's almost always something happening, but we’re looking at some early days with average conditions before some real firecrackers roll in later.

The water is sitting at a warm 79°, which is about average for this time of year, nothing too wild there.

The forecast has a little bit of a lull in quality early on. For the first several days, through the 18th of September, we've got some decent sized swell in the water, around 5ft to 7ft from the southwest, but the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore. That's going to put a bit of a chop on the surface. The energy is there, but the quality just isn’t locking in. It’s surfable, but you'll be working for your keepers.

Keep an eye on the morning of Saturday the 19th. The swell drops a touch to 4ft from the southwest, but the wind goes glassy. For a reef like Wanjapu, that glassy surface is gold, and the 14-second period from the SW will have some push. With no wind, the shape should be clean and fun. It’s not going to be huge, but it’ll be the first real window of clean waves in this run.

The quiet spell will continue through to the 25th with a mix of small to moderate swell and cross-shore winds.

The big news is for the final few days. Starting on the morning of Saturday the 26th of September, the ocean lights up. We’re looking at a serious pulse of groundswell hitting. The period jumps to a very long 23 seconds, and the swell height is 5ft, but the combined energy is massive! By the afternoon, it’s a solid 10ft from the SSW with a period of 20 seconds and even more energy. This is a serious, deep ocean swell. The wind on Saturday afternoon is a gentle cross-shore from the SE, which should keep it fairly clean.

However, this is big. Over 8ft, this is strictly for the experts out there. That long period is going to make for some super clean, powerful lines at this reef, but it will also be challenging. Sunday the 27th keeps the 10ft swell going, again for experienced surfers only. After that, it drops back to a more manageable 5ft to 8ft range for the last couple of days into the end of the month.

The true standout here is the morning of Tuesday the 29th of September. The swell has dropped to a friendly 5ft from the SSW, period at 14 seconds, with glassy, offshore wind. The guidance is calling it “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers,” and I’m with that. For the advanced crew, this is the session to circle on your calendar. Conditions are perfect. Wanjapu can get a crowd, as it can get “sometimes” busy, but on a Tuesday morning with that kind of perfection, you might just score.

So to wrap it up: The first week is a bit average with chop. The weekend of the 19th has a nice glassy day for smaller waves. The big story is the huge, expert-only swell starting the 26th, but the absolute pick of the whole run is that glassy Tuesday the 29th.

Rusty.

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