Nanwan Beach (South Bay) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cookin’ at Nanwan Beach (South Bay) for the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, the first week is a bust. We’re looking at a long stretch of tiny, weak swell and poor surf conditions from Monday the 20th right through to the end of the month. The swell is barely kickin’, with combined energy readings that are weak, mostly under 100 (that's 51 to 144 range early on, then dropping to 24 and lower). The periods are short at 7 seconds, so it’s just windswell junk. The wind is mostly cross-off or cross, but the waves are just not there. You’d be chasin’ shadows. This is a real quiet spell for the area.

Come Saturday the 25th afternoon, things get a little interesting. That swell jumps to 3 ft from the ENE, but the period stretches way out to 11 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The energy spikes to 196 (moderate), and the wind is clean cross-off from the NNE. The only catch? That’s a long period for a beach and reef setup, so it might break a bit straight, but it’s the first real pulse of the whole forecast.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, is Sunday the 26th morning. The swell pumps up to 7 ft from the E, with that same long 11-second period, and the combined energy goes through the roof at 1007 (strong). The wind is a clean cross-off from the NNE at 25 mph. That’s proper size and power. But, that 7 ft at a beach and reef is gettin’ into expert territory—a bit too big for beginners. Plus, there’s a risk of thunderstorms, so keep an eye on the sky. The energy is big, the waves are shapin’ up, and it’s the cleanest big swell of the window.

After that, we get a few days of messy, oversized stuff. Monday the 27th is a write-off with gale-force winds—50 mph from the NNE, that’s severe gale territory. Then Tuesday the 28th morning, the swell hits a massive 20 ft from the SW with a 10-second period, and the energy is a jaw-dropping 7379 (very strong). But the wind is a nasty cross-on near gale. That’s not for paddle surfing; that’s kite-surfing or just staying home. The same goes for the afternoon: 18 ft and strong cross-shore winds.

By Wednesday the 29th afternoon, the swell is still a chunky 12 ft from the SW with a 9-second period and energy over 1900 (strong). The wind is cross-on, but the guidance says it’s “wind and tide favorable” for once, though the swell is still too big for this break. It’s a maybe, but only for the brave.

The tail end of the forecast, from August 1st to 4th, sees the swell drop back down to a more manageable 5 ft to 7 ft from the SW, with 8-second periods. The energy is moderate (around 300-700). The winds are mostly cross-off or clean. The best of this late period is Tuesday the 4th afternoon, with 5 ft from the SW, a gentle offshore breeze from the NNW, and clean conditions. That’s a nice, mellow window to finish on.

So, the one true standout is Sunday the 26th morning for the big, clean, expert-level swell. The second best is the tail end on Tuesday the 4th afternoon for a clean, smaller session. Be patient, it’s a long wait.

Rusty.

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