Wanjapu Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’m gonna be straight with you – this isn't one of those windows where everything lines up perfectly. Wanjapu’s gonna have swell running through most of the 16 days, but the wind is a persistent issue, keeping things on the messy side. The water temp is sitting pretty average for the time of year, so nothing out of the ordinary to report there.

Starting off, we’ve got a solid SW groundswell building in for Saturday the 22nd. We’re talking 8ft of swell from the SW with a long, powerful 16-second period. The combined energy is strong (2663), so there’s heaps of water moving. But, and it’s a big but, the wind is a light cross-on from the S. It’s not howling, but it’s enough to put a bit of texture on the face. This is an exposed reef break, so that cross-on breeze is going to mean some lumpy take-offs. It’s definitely a day for the advanced crew.

Sunday the 23rd sees the swell start to drop back a touch to 7ft, still a solid SW groundswell with a 15-second interval (1960 energy). The wind swings around to a stronger cross-shore in the afternoon from the SSE at 12 mph, which will chop things up even more. Conditions stay marginal.

We go through a bit of a lull mid-week. Swell dips under 7ft, but there’s still some energy around. The real highlight, and the one you want to circle on the calendar, is the following week. Friday the 28th looks like the standout. Overnight, the swell bumps up to 8ft from the SW with a 17-second period – that’s proper groundswell. The combined energy goes ballistic at 3823. The morning is the call, with a light cross-on wind from the S. It’s not glassy, but it’s manageable for the advanced guys who know how to read the reef. That’s the day.

After that, the swell eases again, but we get another interesting pulse on Wednesday the 2nd of September. Another 8ft SW groundswell with an 18-second period, and again, the morning has light winds. Energy is right up at 3505. It’s a similar story to the 28th – plenty of power, but you’re working against a light cross-on breeze.

The rest of the first week of September is average. Swell hangs around but the winds get stronger and more cross-shore, making it a battle out there. The last few days of the outlook see the swell dropping off towards 5ft with onshore winds, so we’ll be winding down.

So, the call? The 28th of August morning is the pick of the bunch. Big, powerful SW swell and a light breeze is the best we’re going to get. The 2nd of September morning is a solid backup. Everywhere else, it’s more of a mission. This reef can handle the size, but the constant cross-on element means it’s never truly clean. It’s a surfer’s spot, not a beginner’s, so if you’re not comfortable in the 7ft+ range with a bumpy surface, pick another day.

Rusty.

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