Nanwan Beach (South Bay) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, Rusty here. Let's be straight with it – the surf outlook for the next 16 days at Nanwan Beach (South Bay) is a real mixed bag. The water’s sitting at 84°, which is bang on average for this time of year, so at least the water temp's got no excuses.

The first surf we can actually talk about kicks off Monday morning, August 17. Swell’s coming in at 5 ft from the SW with a period of 8 seconds, but it’s a cross-shore breeze and there are thunderstorms about. The wave energy’s sitting at a moderate 383, but honestly, it’s pretty ordinary – marginal at best. Monday afternoon doesn’t get any better; same size, same direction, just a cross-onshore breeze that’s not doing anyone any favours.

Tuesday, August 18, through to Saturday, August 22, is a proper write-off. We’ve got strong NE to SSW winds, mostly cross-on or cross-off, but the real kicker is the swell. It gets big – up to 10 ft from the SSW by Friday and Saturday – but the wind is onshore and lumpy, hammering the quality. The wave energy jumps into the thousands (2085 to 2049), showing there’s plenty of power, but for a paddle surfer, it’s just messy. With those strong cross-onshore winds and a beach-and-reef setup, this stretch actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. For beginners, anything over 5 ft is a handful, and over 8 ft is experts only, so steer clear.

Sunday, August 23, sees the swell drop back to around 7 ft, but the wind’s still cross-on and choppy. Still no good.

Monday, August 24, offers a slight glimmer. We’ve got 6 ft from the SW, period 9 seconds, but the wind is cross-on and fairly choppy. Wave energy is moderate at 725, but it’s marginal – a tide question mark on it, so nothing to get excited about.

Tuesday, August 25, is a standout in size but not in quality. The swell jumps to a solid 7 ft to 7 ft from the E, with a very long 17 to 18 second period – that’s proper groundswell energy, with wave energy readings of 3075 to 3393. This is the best potential of the whole outlook, but there’s a catch. The wind is a fresh cross-shore, lumpy. For Nanwan’s beach-and-reef setup, that long period is likely breaking too straight on the beach, and with the cross-shore wind, it’s going to be a messy, lumpy mess. Still, for the experts on the reef at the right tide, there might be a few bombs. Not for the faint-hearted or beginners.

From Wednesday, August 26, right through to Tuesday, September 1, it’s all downhill. Swell sizes bobble between 3 ft and 8 ft, but the wind is consistently cross-on, onshore, or howling – with gales hitting 43 mph by Sunday, August 31, and near gales into September. The wave energy stays moderate to strong (277 to 1243), but it’s all blown out, poor conditions. The only half-interesting moment is Thursday afternoon, August 27, with 8 ft from SSW and a light cross-shore breeze – marginal at best, but could be worth a look if the tide lines up.

Overall, the only real stand-out for paddle surfing is Tuesday, August 25, despite the lumpy wind. The size and period are there, it’s just not clean. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too dangerous for beginners. Expect some quiet days and keep an eye on the wind shifts – forecasts change. But right now, don’t get your hopes up too high. This is a patchy run for Nanwan Beach.

Rusty

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