Yonabaru Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down the local surf outlook.

Look, I’ll be straight with you – this forecast is a real mixed bag. We’ve got a massive pulse of energy coming, but it’s going to be a dangerous, messy mess for the first few days before things drop off. The window for a decent wave is a long way off, so you’ll need to be patient.

The action starts on Thursday, 6th August, but it’s not a good start. Yonabaru is looking at a huge 12 ft swell from the east with a very long period of 16 seconds. The combined wave energy is a massive 7377 (moderate energy). Add a strong 30 km/h cross-shore wind, and it’s going to be a lumpy, cross-chop mess. The setups here are just too big – this is expert territory only, and even then, it’s not going to be pretty. Conditions get worse in the afternoon with a 13 ft swell and 40 km/h winds, making it a total write-off.

Friday, 7th August is where things get full-on. We’re looking at a 16 ft swell on Friday morning, ramping up to a terrifying 31 ft by the afternoon, with hurricane-force winds hitting 125 km/h. The wave energy is off the charts at 22905 and 32649 (strong to very strong wave energy). This is a full-on tropical storm scenario. The surf is massive and dangerous – for experts only, and honestly, it’s more of a survival situation than a surf session. The whole weekend is a washout. Saturday, 8th August has hurricane-force winds and no surfable swell, followed by Sunday and Monday with tiny, weak waves and strong winds.

We then hit a long, flat spell. From Tuesday, 11th August through to Wednesday, 13th August, there’s next to nothing. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

Finally, we get a glimmer of hope. On Wednesday, 12th August, during the afternoon, we see a tiny 2 ft swell from the east with a period of 11 seconds, with a gentle cross-offshore breeze. The wave energy is a weak 89. It’s small and ordinary, but at least it’s clean. The best of a bad bunch, really.

The standout (and I use that term loosely) has to be the afternoon of Thursday, 13th August. The swell is only 2 ft from the east, but the wind is a light 15 km/h offshore from the west-southwest. This will be glassy and clean as a whistle. For a longboard or a funboard, this is your only real chance to get a clean, if tiny, wave. The water is clean, the wind is off, and it’s just you and the ocean. It’s not a classic, but it’s the most pleasant option on the table.

The rest of the outlook through to Friday, 21st August is a mix of tiny, weak swells, and mostly onshore or cross-shore winds. The swells are short period (6-9 seconds), so they’ll be weak and lack any real push. At Yonabaru, the 4 ft swell on Tuesday, 18th August is the biggest of the later period, but it’s a short-period, onshore wind swell that will be choppy and messy. Not worth the paddle.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is a write-off from dangerous, huge surf. The second week is flat and then tiny. Your one true window for a clean, quiet session is the afternoon of Thursday, 13th August. Get the longboard.

Rusty.

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