Yonabaru Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks or so.

To be honest, the start is a bit of a write-off. We’re looking at a run of poor surf for the first full week or so, from Tuesday the 18th of August through to around the 25th. It’s not a great run, with messy, choppy conditions and winds that just won’t play ball. There’s a bit of energy around in the water, but it’s all junk.

Things start to shift around Tuesday the 25th of August. The swell starts to build, but it’s still a bit messy with that cross-onshore wind. The water temp is sitting around 84° at Yonabaru, which is pretty much spot on average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The real standout window opens up on Thursday the 27th of August. Yonabaru is the only break in the mix here, and it starts to fire. We’re looking at a solid 8ft swell coming from the ESE with a very long period of 16 seconds. That’s proper groundswell. The wind swings to a cross-offshore direction, and the wave energy is strong, hitting around 3419 (strong). The wind is light, and the conditions are clean. This is excellent for experienced surfers, as that size and power is too much for beginners.

It gets even better into the weekend. Thursday afternoon sees the swell bump up to 10ft from the east, still with that long 16-second period, and the wind stays clean and cross-offshore. The combined energy jumps to 3971 (strong). This is big, powerful surf that will be handling like a point break should, with good shape. The bigger sets will be serious, but the long gaps between them will make it easier to get out the back.

Come Saturday the 29th of August, the swell drops slightly to 7ft from the east, but the period holds at 13 seconds. The wind is a light cross-offshore, and the conditions are clean again. The energy is still moderate at 1491. This is a more manageable size for a good crew.

Then, Sunday the 30th of August looks like the very best of the run. The swell picks up again to 10ft from the east, period 14 seconds, and the wind is light and cross-offshore. The combined energy is a massive 4834 (very strong). The conditions are clean. This is a big, powerful, and clean session for experienced surfers only.

Now, a word of caution. On Monday the 31st of August, the model is showing a massive swell of 23ft to 26ft. That is way too big for Yonabaru. The wind is glassy, which is a shame, but the swell size makes it a no-go for paddle surfing. It would be more of a kite-surfing show.

After that, the swell drops right back off into the first days of September, and we’re back to small, ordinary conditions.

So, if you’ve got the experience, the standout sessions are Thursday the 27th of August, and especially Sunday the 30th of August. The later dates are more of a long-range call, so keep an eye on the forecasts, but it’s promising.

Rusty.

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