Yonabaru Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s cooking around Yonabaru.

First up, that water temp is sitting at 84°, right on the money for this time of year, nothing weird going on there. Now, the forecast kicks off with a heap of energy, but it’s not for us. Tuesday morning the 25th is pumping, but I’m not calling it. The swell is a massive 15 ft from the ESE with a very long 17-second period, and combined energy is a whopping 11066 – that’s proper strong. But for a beginner-friendly, fairly exposed spot like Yonabaru, 15 ft is way too big. The wind is a cross 16 mph, which doesn’t help. You’d need to be a fearless expert even to look at it, and even then, that super long period might make it racey and straight. That Tuesday afternoon is the same story, just a touch less energy at 9963, and still too big.

Wednesday the 26th, the size drops, but the quality plummets. Morning has 7 ft from the NNW with only 10 seconds of period and a strong 28 mph cross-off wind. The energy is moderate at 1013, but the surf conditions are poor. The afternoon is marginally better at 6 ft, but still with strong wind and only a score of 1 out of 10. Not worth your time.

Then from Thursday the 27th right through to Monday the 1st of September, it's a flat spell. Swell heights are tiny, mostly under 5 ft, with short periods and onshore or cross-onshore winds. Combined energy drops right down to two-digit numbers like 71 and 57. It’s pretty much a write-off with poor conditions every session. You’re looking at a solid gap of about 6 days with nothing to get excited about.

The first real glimmer shows up on Wednesday morning the 2nd of September. Swell is 5 ft from the E with an 11-second period, combined energy is moderate at 442, and we finally get some clean air – an offshore wind from the WNW at 12 mph. The forecast says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the best option by far in the first week. It’s small but clean, with that offshore wind tidying things up nicely. That afternoon holds some smaller waves at 4 ft but still offshore.

Thursday the 3rd is offshore again with 4 ft waves from the N, but the period drops to 8 seconds and the quality falls back to “poor surf conditions.” Friday the 4th is tiny, under 3 ft.

After another flat patch, we start looking toward the 8th and 9th of September. Tuesday the 8th is looking promising with 7 ft swell from the ESE at 8 seconds, a light 9 mph cross-off breeze from the NNW, and combined energy at a solid moderate 568. It says “expect good surf conditions.” It’s not huge, but the conditions are clean.

But the standout, the one to circle on your calendar, is Wednesday morning the 9th of September. We’ve got a 8 ft swell from the ESE with a 9-second period, combined energy of 959 – that’s strong. And the wind? A light 6 mph cross-off from the NNW. The forecast even says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s the one. The swell direction is coming from the ESE, which is a little off the optimum NE for Yonabaru, but with that clean wind and solid size, it’s going to be the pick of the whole 16-day window. That afternoon gets bigger, 10 ft from the E with 10-second period and energy up to 1677, but it’s marginal for the break and likely too big for all but the most experienced crew.

So to wrap it up: the first week is mostly a washout, but hold out for Wednesday the 9th of September. That morning session at Yonabaru is where you want to be. Clean, decent size, and good energy.

Rusty.

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