Nanwan Beach (South Bay) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Let's have a proper look at what's on the cards for Nanwan Beach (South Bay) over the next couple weeks.

Right off the bat, things look pretty grim on the south coast. The first several days offer nothing rideable – we're looking at a run of basically no surf from now until the end of the week. Strong cross-shore winds and lumpy conditions are mashing up the small, short-period SW swell, and the scores reflect it: absolute zero for Tuesday and Wednesday, and even Thursday’s bigger 8ft SSW swell (1035 combined energy) just gets ruined by mod rain and fresh cross-onshore wind. Not a single wave worth paddling for.

Friday 21 August is where it gets interesting, but with a big caveat. The swell jumps up to 12ft SSW (2239 combined energy) and the winds go cross-shore with the tide favourable. Problem is, that's way too much wave for this beach-and-reef setup – we're talking expert territory only, and even then it's gonna be a washing machine. Saturday 22 August sees similar size, up to 12ft SW (2576 combined energy) with a longer 11-second period and clean cross-offshore winds from the west on the afternoon. That's promising for the brave crew, but again, this is big, powerful stuff. For the average surfer, it's a day to watch from the sand.

Now here's the real standout. Sunday 23 August – mark it down. The swell drops to a much friendlier 7ft SSW (755 combined energy) with a 9-second period, and the wind goes offshore from the northwest at just 3 mph on the afternoon. Glassy, clean, with proper shape. That's your best bet in the whole window. Water temp's sitting at 85°, which is pretty average for the time of year – no anomaly to speak of. Keep in mind this spot can get crowded, and it's fairly consistent, so you won't be alone.

Monday 24 August and Tuesday 25 August get messy again with strong onshore winds and a weird mix of swell directions. Wednesday 26 August offers another clean morning with a 8ft E swell (3542 combined energy) and a very long 16-second period. That's a groundswell with proper energy, but beach breaks might turn it into a closeout. Nanwan Beach is a beach and reef setup, so points and reefs will handle it better. It's a good option for experienced surfers, but the long period could make it tricky.

After that, from Thursday 27 August right through to the end of the forecast on 2 September, it's pretty flat or blown out. Winds turn onshore again with consistent cross and cross-on conditions, and the swell stays below 7ft with short periods. The odd glimmer on the 2nd September morning shows a 6ft SW swell (619 combined energy) with light winds, but it's marginal at best.

So, to sum it up: the first few days are a write-off. Your one true standout is Sunday 23 August afternoon – clean, offshore, manageable swell. The big stuff on Friday and Saturday is for experts only. Wednesday 26 August is a decent backup if you've got the experience for the long-period E swell. After that, it's back to the waiting game.

Rusty.

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