Yonabaru Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the cards for our local stretch.

To be honest, the next week and a half is a write-off for any decent paddle surfing. You’ll be staring at a flat, weak, and messy ocean for days. The swell is tiny, with heights barely scraping 1ft to 2ft, and the period is short, around 9 to 10 seconds. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, which just ruins what little ripple there is. The combined wave energy is weak, hanging around 13 to 85. It’s just not worth wetting a suit for. There’s a long gap here with no real surf to speak of.

Now, things start to look a little more interesting towards the end of the first week of August. We’ve got a pulse of proper long-period groundswell coming in. On the 1st of August, the afternoon session sees a jump to 1ft but with a very long 18-second period, and the energy climbs to 108. That’s a sign of things to come. The real action kicks off on the 2nd of August. The morning brings 4ft of swell from the east with a 18-second period, and the energy is a solid 788. The wind is onshore though, which is a bummer, making it a bit lumpy. The afternoon of the 2nd improves slightly to 4ft with a 18-second period, and the energy is strong at 1071. It’s still cross-onshore though, so expect some chop.

The standout window for the more experienced crew is the 3rd and 4th of August. The swell is significant, pushing 6ft on the 3rd with a 17-second period and massive energy readings of 1712 and 1731. The wind is cross-on and fresh, creating lumpy, powerful conditions. This is not for the faint-hearted. For the experts, it could be a wild ride. Then on the 4th, we see the wind shift to a cross-off direction, which cleans things up. The swell drops to 5ft on the morning with a 16-second period, and the energy is still very strong at 1146. The afternoon of the 4th is a bit smaller at 5ft but still has a solid 947 energy and cross-off winds. This is the best of the bunch for skilled surfers.

By the 5th and 6th of August, the swell backs off to a more manageable 4ft to 3ft, but the wind turns offshore from the west, giving us glassy, clean conditions. The period is still long at 15 to 13 seconds, providing good shape. The energy is moderate, ranging from 514 down to 208. This is your best bet for a clean, fun, punchy wave without the heavy crowd pressure. Yonabaru itself is the only break in the game here, and it’s a fairly consistent beginner spot, though these bigger swells will push it well out of beginner territory. The water temp is about 83°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

The pick of the forecast: For the big-wave hunters, the morning of the 4th of August is the standout. It’s got the size (5ft), the long period (16 seconds), and the clean cross-off wind. For the rest of us who want a clean, fun session, the morning of the 6th of August offers that sweet offshore wind and 3ft of clean, long-period swell.

Rusty.

Read more