Yonabaru Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks.

First off, it’s a grim start. We’ve got a big gap of nothing really worth paddling out for until the morning of Thursday, August 6th. The early days are all low-scoring, with small waves and onshore or cross-onshore wind all over it. Monday and Tuesday are chopped up and messy, and Wednesday sees the swell pushing up to 8ft but with a strong cross-onshore wind, so it’s just a washing machine. Kite surfers might be interested, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a hard pass.

The real standout is Thursday, August 6th at Yonabaru. The swell jumps to 15ft from the east with a very long period of 18 seconds. That’s serious groundswell energy, and the combined energy is a massive 15051 (moderate to strong). The wind is a clean offshore north-northwest at 22 mph. This is proper, heavy surf. But look, 15ft is expert territory – way too big for beginners. The long period and east swell direction aren’t a perfect match for the optimum northeast swell, so it might be a bit straighter than ideal, but the power and the clean conditions will be something else. The water temperature is about average for this time of year.

Friday, August 7th, is even bigger, with 16ft to 28ft swell, but the wind is screaming gale-force. The 28ft wave on Friday afternoon is from the north-northwest, which is a better direction for the break, but the wind is a severe gale. It’s huge, dangerous, and for absolute experts only, if anyone is even game to get out. The combined energy hits 28848 (very strong).

Saturday, August 8th, is a write-off. The wind is hurricane-force, then violent storm force. The swell drops off a cliff to 6ft by the afternoon, but the wind is still at 75 mph. Stay out of the water.

After that, the window slams shut. From Sunday, August 9th, right through to the end of the outlook on August 18th, it’s a long run of weak, small swell and strong, mostly cross-offshore winds. The swell energy drops to single digits and low two-digit numbers. There’s a tiny pulse on Wednesday, August 12th afternoon with 3ft east swell and light offshore wind, but it’s a very average day. The conditions are clean, but the wave is small and ordinary. The last week is a battle with tiny waves and stormy winds, so don’t hold your breath.

So, the call is simple: the only day truly worth marking on the calendar is Thursday, August 6th for the big-swell crew. It’s a solid, powerful, and clean day, but it’s not for the faint-hearted.

Rusty.

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