Yonabaru Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you on this one – it's a bit of a slow burn for our stretch of coast.

The whole 16-day window kicks off with a real flat spell. From Monday the 7th right through until late on Friday the 18th, the surf is just terrible. We're talking about twelve straight days with nothing worth paddling out for. The winds are mostly howling onshore or cross-shore, and even when a little 2ft to 5ft swell shows up, it's messy, chopped up, and the call is "poor surf conditions" every single time. Don't even think about it. Even a 6ft pulse on Monday the 14th is wasted because it's coming in with an onshore wind. It's the kind of run that would make a kite surfer’s eyes light up, but for us paddle surfers, it's a washout.

Finally, things start to whisper to life on Friday the 18th. The wind goes glassy late in the day, and we get a tiny 2ft easterly swell with a 10-second period. The energy is weak at 91, so it’s barely surfable—just ankle-biters for a log. The glassy conditions are a major positive for cleanliness, but the size is puny. Saturday the 19th looks much the same with a bit of north swell at 2ft and glassy morning conditions. It's super small and ordinary, but at least it's clean.

Now, here's where it gets interesting, but you’ve got to be patient. The real standout is Yonabaru. We're looking at Monday the 21st of September. The morning starts with a jump to 6ft from the NE at a solid 10-second period. The combined energy is massive at 1062, and the wind is a gentle cross-shore. But the real magic is Monday afternoon, where that swell jumps to 7ft from the NE at 11 seconds, with a light 10 km/h north wind. That's a genuine groundswell with power, and the rating suggests it's more for the experienced crew.

Then Tuesday the 22nd is the pick of the whole run. Early morning sees a 6ft ESE groundswell with a *very* long period of 18 seconds. The energy is huge at 2625. That long period means it's going to be a proper, powerful groundswell that will wrap into Yonabaru beautifully. The wind is light offshore from the north. But the absolute winner is Tuesday afternoon, September 22nd. You get a 7ft ESE swell, still with that awesome 18-second period, combined energy of 3223, and clean cross-offshore wind from the NNW at just 15 km/h. That is the one to circle on the calendar. It’s a standout for experienced surfers only, as it will be way too big and powerful for beginners. The water temps are a balmy 84°F, which is bang on average for this time of year, so a spring suit will do.

To be honest, the rest of the window after that Tuesday afternoon looks like it fades, but that one session is a promise of something special if the forecast holds. Mark your diaries.

Rusty out.

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