Yonabaru Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me give you the straight-up skinny on the upcoming surf at Yonabaru. Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. For a big chunk of this forecast, it’s a real struggle. We’ve got a solid wait on our hands.

The first sign of any real hope doesn’t show up until Thursday the 3rd of September. Before that, the swell is just too messy and the wind’s all wrong. You’re looking at a few days of nothing but small, weak junk or howling onshore winds. From the 2nd through the 11th, it’s mostly a write-off. There’s a brief window on Thursday morning the 3rd, with a 8ft east swell and a nice cross-offshore breeze (15 km/h), giving you clean conditions. The water’s a warm 84°, which is totally normal for this time of year. That afternoon, the wind swings offshore (12 mph) and the swell drops a touch to 6ft from the ESE. The combined energy is still strong (1688 on the 2nd, 1119 on the 3rd morning), so there’s plenty of push, but the quality is a bit of a gamble with those thunderstorms around.

Then it gets ugly again. From the 4th right through to the 11th, it’s a desert. The swell drops to barely a ripple, or it’s onshore, or both. There’s a couple of days early in the second week, the 12th and 13th, where the swell picks up to 6ft from the ESE, but the wind is on it, blowing straight onshore at 16 mph. The wave energy is decent (693 on the 12th afternoon), but the wind will trash it. That’s more of a kite session than a surf session, to be honest.

Now, for the real standout. You’ve got to wait until the 16th of September. That Wednesday morning is the one. The swell is a solid 8ft from the east, with a long, juicy 13-second period from that groundswell. The wind is a light, cross-offshore breeze (9 mph). The combined energy is a massive 1866, meaning there’s serious power. This is a proper, clean, powerful swell. It’s a touch big for beginners, but for anyone with a bit of experience, this is the best on offer. The crowds are listed as "sometimes" at Yonabaru, so you might have some company, but with conditions that good, it’ll be worth it. The 16th afternoon is still good with a 7ft, 14-second swell and cross-offshore wind, but the morning is the clear winner.

The next day, the 17th, the swell holds at 7ft, but the wind swings cross-shore, and the period drops to 9 seconds, making it less clean and more bumpy. It’s a drop-off, but still surfable for the die-hards.

So, to sum it up: don’t waste your energy on the first week and a half. Wait for Wednesday the 16th of September. That’s your day. The 3rd of September is a decent appetizer, but the main course is the 16th.

Rusty.

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