Yonabaru Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s see what we’ve got lined up for Yonabaru over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a rough start. The first solid chance of anything half-decent doesn’t roll in until the 17th of September, and even then it’s marginal. Up until that point, we’re sittin’ through a long, frustrating stretch of poor surf – around 11 days of mostly onshore junk, cross-chop, and onshore slop. The swell’s there, but the wind’s just killing it, and the quality’s been downgraded every session. You’re not missing much.

Now, the window opens up a bit from Thursday the 17th afternoon. The wind starts to swing offshore from the SW at Yonabaru, and we get a clean little pulse of 6 ft from the ESE at 10 seconds. The combined energy’s moderate at 591 – enough to get a few decent ones, but it’s still only a marginal call. The real bright spot, though, comes on Friday the 18th.

Friday morning the 18th is the standout. We’ve got near-calm wind, just a slight air, and clean 5 ft swell from the E with a 9-second period. The combined energy sits at 400 (moderate). The afternoon glass off is even better – 4 ft out of the E, 8 seconds, and glassy conditions. That’s the best surf we’ll see all forecast. The water temp’s about 84°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

As for the break itself, Yonabaru is a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent spot, fairly exposed to the NE swell direction. The guidance says the optimum swell direction is NE, and we’re getting E/ESE through the good window, so it’s a bit off, but at 4 ft to 5 ft, it’s still fun for a beginner through intermediate. Crowds are sometimes an issue, so keep an eye out.

By Saturday the 19th, the swell backs off to 4 ft and 3 ft, and the energy drops to 177 and 96 – weak. Glassy conditions again, but the waves are ordinary. After that, it’s back to tiny, onshore junk from the 20th onward.

So, bottom line: if you’ve got patience, aim for Friday the 18th. That’s the pick of the whole 16-day run. The rest is a write-off.

Rusty.

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