Yonabaru Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here again, this time in feet, miles per hour, and Fahrenheit. Let’s break it down.

This 16-day run for Yonabaru is mostly a dud. The first week and a half is hammered by onshore winds and messy surf. It’s not until early September that we see a brief window of clean conditions.

Starting Friday the 28th of August through the weekend, the swell is 5 to 7 feet, but it’s short-period junk from the SE and ESE, only 6 to 7 seconds between waves. Wind is a fresh cross-onshore at 18 to 22 mph, so it’s lumpy and choppy. Water temp is about 84°, pretty normal for this time of year. The combined swell energy is weak to moderate, between 220 and 346. Not worth getting wet.

Monday the 31st of August pumps up to 10 to 12 feet, but that’s from a strong easterly swell with an onshore wind hitting 25 mph. Energy is over 2000 (2011), but the quality is terrible. That size is only for experts even in good conditions, and with that wind, it’s a mess.

The first few days of September are rough. Tuesday the 1st still has thunderstorms and cross-shore winds. Swell drops to about 7 feet, still messy. On Wednesday the 2nd, the wind finally swings to the WSW, going cross-offshore in the morning and fully offshore by the afternoon. We get a clean 4-foot easterly swell with a 10-second period. Energy is moderate (327 to 313). It’s the cleanest we’ve seen, but still just marginal.

The best call of the whole run is Thursday the 3rd of September. Morning is clear with a moderate offshore breeze from the west at 12 mph, and by afternoon it’s WNW offshore. Swell holds around 5 to 6 feet from the ESE, with a 10-second period giving you decent shape. Energy is moderate (377 to 659). This is the only day with clean, ridable waves and offshore wind. Yonabaru is a beginner-friendly spot that breaks fairly consistently, so paddling out will actually be fun. Crowds are possible here, so expect company.

After that, it’s back downhill. Friday the 4th and into the weekend of the 5th and 6th of September, the wind turns back onshore or cross-shore, and the swell jumps to 7 to 10 feet, some of it with a long 11-second period. Energy gets strong (810 to 2221), but the conditions are too messy. By Monday the 7th, the swell collapses – 0.5 feet on Monday afternoon, then under 1 foot on Tuesday the 8th. That’s a dead spell.

From the 8th through the 12th of September, it’s a mix of tiny waves and building, stormy swells. On the 11th, a 8-foot ESE groundswell with a 14-second period shows up – energy is very strong (2628) – but wind is cross-onshore again at 18 mph, so it’s lumpy and dangerous. By the 12th, we’re talking 13-foot swells with 14 to 15-second periods, energy readings of 6527 to 8573, but those come with fresh onshore winds and thunderstorms. Only experts would even think about it, and with that wind, it’s more of a kite-surfing setup. Not for paddlers.

So, to wrap it up: the only surf worth your time is Thursday the 3rd of September at Yonabaru. It won’t be firing, but it’ll be clean and fun. The rest is either blown out, too big, or flat. Hope something changes, but for now, that’s the story.

Rusty.

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