Yonabaru Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break it down for the next couple of weeks.

We’ve only got one spot on the radar this period: Yonabaru. Look, I’m gonna be straight with you – this isn't shaping up to be a classic run. There’s a massive, dangerous event coming through that will wipe out any real chance of a decent session for a while, and after that, it's mostly small, junky leftovers with onshore slop.

Right off the bat, we have a huge pulse of easterly swell hitting on Thursday, 6th August. We’re looking at a solid 11.5ft to 13.1ft of long-period groundswell from the east (16 seconds), which carries very strong wave energy (7016 / 8809). The water is a touch warmer than normal at 86.9° and the wind is howling from the north – that's cross/cross-off, so the surface would be clean, but this swell is simply too big. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, it’s going to be maxed out and charging hard.

On Friday, 7th August, things go from big to apocalyptic. We’ve got hurricane-force winds from the west and a 29.5ft NW swell with a staggering 25775 energy reading. That’s not surf, that’s survival. Dangerous conditions, flat-out stay out of the water. A severe gale on Friday morning ramps up the whole chaotic mess. This storm blows through, and from Saturday, 8th August through the following week, the swell drops right off a cliff.

From Saturday the 8th right through to Tuesday the 11th, it’s small and messy. Most calls are “poor surf conditions.” You’re looking at tiny waves under 3ft with periods under 14 seconds, driven by cross-shore winds from the south. The energy values are in the low triple digits at best (91, 133, 277). Not worth paddling out.

We finally get a little window around Wednesday, 12th August. It’s still small – only 2ft from the east with an 11-second period – but conditions ease right up. Light breezes, some clean offshore WNW wind in the afternoon. Energy is weak (86), but it’s “surfable” for a beginner. For a complete beginner at Yonabaru, that’s actually your window. Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th also see similar small, clean windows with light winds, but again, we’re talking about knee-high, weak little runners.

After that, from the 15th onwards, we’re back into a long stretch of onshore and cross-shore winds from the north and east. The swell tries to pick up a touch around the 19th and 20th of August – hitting 5.6ft to 6.9ft – but it’s onshore wind with a period dropping to 6-9 seconds, making it short-period, choppy, and ugly. It’s basically a blown-out mess for anyone not on a kite.

The best on offer? Honestly, the only real standouts are the conditions on Wednesday, 12th August, and Friday, 14th August. If you are a beginner, Thursday and Friday morning of that second week (the 14th) offer small, clean waves with offshore winds. It’s not going to be a day for the history books, but you’ll have a clean, fun little wave all to yourself. For anyone else, it’s a dry spell.

Read more