Yonabaru Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for the Yonabaru area over the next couple of weeks.

Alright, straight up, we're in for a bit of a flat spell to kick things off. From Wednesday the 29th of July all the way through to Sunday the 2nd of August, it's looking pretty dismal. The swell is tiny, mostly around 1.0ft to 1ft from the southeast, with very weak energy. The wind is glassy or light, which is a tease, but there's just not enough wave to push a float. We're looking at about five days of nothing worth paddling out for.

Things start to show a pulse on Monday the 3rd of August. The swell lifts to 3ft in the morning, coming from the ESE with a long 16-second period. The combined energy is solid. The morning sees some clouds with a NNW wind at 12 mph, blowing cross-offshore, keeping the surface clean. The afternoon builds a little more to 4ft. This is a groundswell, and with that long period, it'll be a bit better shaped and more powerful, but it might break a little straight at the beach. Still, it's the first real chance of a wave. The water temp is around 86°F, which is about average for this time of year. Yonabaru is a beginner-friendly break, so this size is perfectly manageable.

Tuesday the 4th of August sees the swell building further. We're looking at 6ft in the morning from the east, with a very long 18-second period. The energy is now strong. The issue is the wind: a moderate 12 mph breeze from the north, blowing cross-shore, creating a bit of a cross-chop. The afternoon has 6ft, same cross-shore wind. It's not clean, but the power is there. This is getting into the territory where it's less ideal for true beginners.

The standout period looks to be Wednesday the 5th of August and Thursday the 6th of August. On Wednesday morning, we have 8ft from the east with a 19-second period, and strong to very strong energy. The wind is a moderate 12 mph from the NNE, cross-shore, so it's going to be a bit lumpy. By the afternoon, it's hitting 10ft. This is big, powerful groundswell. For a beginner spot, this is well over the 5ft mark, and at 10ft, it's only for experienced surfers.

Thursday the 6th of August is the best bet. The morning shows 12ft from the east, 18-second period, and massive energy. But here's the kicker: the wind swings to the northwest at 16 mph, blowing cross-offshore, which means clean, groomed faces. The forecast notes this is too big for this break, but for a strong surfer, the conditions are there. The afternoon drops to 7ft from the ENE with a 19 mph cross-offshore wind, still clean. The morning session on Thursday is the true standout if you can handle the size.

After that, it gets messy. Friday the 7th of August is a write-off. The wind is howling from the west at 37 mph in the morning, going to 43 mph in the afternoon. That's gale force, nearly impossible to paddle into. The swell is still there at 7ft, but it's not worth it.

Saturday the 8th and Sunday the 9th of August drop off significantly. Swell fades to 5ft and 4ft from the NNW with moderate energy, but the wind is still strong from the south, making it choppy and messy.

Monday the 10th of August sees a new pulse of ESE swell, with 5ft in the morning and 6ft in the afternoon, but it's all crossed up with a 12 mph wind, and the period drops to 7 seconds in the morning, which is short-period, weak stuff. The cross-shore wind and chop ruin it.

The rest of the week into Thursday the 13th of August is a mix of onshore and cross-shore winds with swell hanging around 5ft to 6ft, but nothing clean or consistent. The 13th of August has a glimmer of hope with a 5ft east swell and a 12-second period, with a NW wind at 12 mph blowing cross-offshore, giving clean conditions in the afternoon. It's marginal, but a last chance for a wave.

Overall, the best surf is on Thursday the 6th of August in the morning if you're skilled enough to handle the size. Yonabaru is a fairly consistent break, but the crowds can pop up sometimes, so keep that in mind. The water is a warm 86°F, about average for the season.

Rusty.

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