Yonabaru Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about Yonabaru. I’ve been looking at the charts, and honestly, it’s a pretty bleak stretch ahead for the next week or so.

The surf is just not there for a while. We’re looking at a real dry spell starting now. The waves are hanging around the 2 to 5 ft mark, and the wind is just not your friend. A lot of onshore and cross-shore junk. Mostly short-period, windswell-type stuff coming from the north, then swinging around to the east and southeast. The energy is weak, only around 100 to 250 in the combined swell energy bracket. It’s choppy, messy, and just not worth paddling out for.

We’re going to have to sit on our hands for the better part of a week. There is one little tease in there, though. On the 15th of September, Tuesday morning, it goes glassy. The wind drops right out – we’re talking a 3 mph breeze. The swell is still small, maybe 4 ft from the ESE, but it’s clean. The energy is moderate at 226, and the period is a touch better at 9 seconds. It’s surfable, but it’s just very, very ordinary. Not a day to get excited about, more a day to dust off the longboard and get a few soft ones if you’re desperate.

After that, it’s back to the grind. The wind comes up again, the swell drops back down, and the energy fades. The 17th and 18th are particularly bleak, with the swell mixing in some longer-period energy from the east, but it’s small and still getting chopped up.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Mark your calendars for the 20th of September. That’s Sunday. Things start to change. The swell is still coming from the SE, but it starts to build. By the afternoon of the 20th, we’re looking at 6 ft with a period of 14 seconds. That’s real groundswell. The energy jumps up to 1692, which is solid.

Then it really turns on. The 21st, Monday, sees the swell push to 8 ft in the morning and 8 ft in the afternoon, with the period extending to 15 seconds. The energy is strong, over 2300 and then 2600. The winds are light, from the east, but they are onshore. It’s a bit of a bummer, but at this size and period, it might be enough to get some decent, lined-up waves.

But hold on. The real monster is coming. On the 22nd, Tuesday afternoon, the forecast is for a massive 15 ft swell with a 16-second period. The energy readings go off the charts – over 10,000. The wind and tide are favorable, but this is way too big for this break. This is not a beginner wave; this is a big, powerful, expert-only swell. It’s going to be a washing machine out there.

The good news doesn’t last. The 23rd sees the wind pick up strong from the ENE, making conditions a mess, and the swell stays huge but hopeless. By the 24th, the wind is howling at 25-28 mph, a full-on gale, and the swell is dropping but the surf will be a complete blown-out mess. That’s the end of the forecast window.

So, bottom line: the first week is a write-off. Wait for that pulse of swell starting the 20th, but be ready for it to get big, and potentially too big, very quickly. The 21st is probably the standout, promising serious size and power, but with that onshore wind, it’s a gamble. It’s a case of being in the right place at the right time.

Rusty

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