Yonabaru Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

To be honest, mate, it’s a quiet start. There’s a real stretch of nothingness here. For the first ten days or so, from Thursday the 16th of July right through to at least the 25th, the swell is tiny – just 1ft to 2ft – and the energy is weak. We’re talking combined swell energy in the teens and twenties most of that time, which is barely a ripple. The wind is often cross-off or offshore, which would be nice if there was any wave to surf, but it’s basically a flat spell. There’s a glimmer of glassy conditions on the morning of Tuesday the 21st, but even then, it’s only 1ft.

The water temperature is sitting at 81°, which is a solid 4° below normal for this time of year. That’s a noticeable chill, so you’ll want a thicker spring suit or maybe a shorty if you’re stubborn.

Things finally start to stir around the 27th of July. Monday the 27th of July is the standout in this whole outlook. For the morning we get a sudden jump to a solid 10ft swell from the ESE with a very long period of 15 seconds. The combined energy hits 3385, which is strong – there’s plenty of power. The problem is the wind is cross-onshore from the SE at 15 mph, making it choppy. This is a big, powerful groundswell, and at 10ft, it’s going to be too big for beginners and only for experienced surfers who know what they’re doing. The afternoon drops a bit to 8ft, still big, with a period of 13 seconds and energy of 2468. The wind eases slightly but stays cross-onshore. It’s a raw, powerful couple of windows, but the quality is rough. The wave comment says "marginal" for the afternoon, so it’s not classic.

The rest of the period after that, from the 28th of July through to the 31st, drops back down to a smaller, more manageable 3ft to 5ft range, but the wind stays predominantly onshore or cross-onshore, which will keep things messy. The energy levels are moderate (in the 100s to 500s), but the wind just won’t cooperate. There’s a brief window on the morning of the 29th with gentler wind, but it’s still cross-onshore. The long period swells from the 27th onwards are better suited to a point or reef, but Yonabaru is a beach break, so those long-period swells will likely break too straight and make it tricky.

Crowds are mentioned as "sometimes" at Yonabaru, so when that Sunday morning swell hits, you can expect a few locals out, but with the size and the chop, it might keep the numbers down.

Overall, the only real chance to get a wave is that big, powerful window on the 27th of July. It’s not the cleanest, but it’s the only one with any size. The rest of the 16 days is a long, flat wait.

Rusty.

Read more