Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa forecast by Craig Brokensha (issued Tuesday 23rd August)

Best Days: Wednesday through Friday, swell magnets from Saturday

This week and next (Aug 24 - Sep 2)

Small surf has been seen into today but we've got some fun but inconsistent SW groundswell energy on the cards for tomorrow, more S/SW into Thursday.

These swells have been generated since last week by a slow moving and strong polar frontal progression from under South Africa over towards WA.

An inconsistent increase in SW groundswell is due on dark today, peaking through tomorrow to an inconsistent 6ft on the sets with the odd bigger bomb possible at swell magnets.

A secondary slightly more consistent and more S/SW swell is due Thursday coming in around a similar 6ft to possibly 8ft at magnets, easing back steadily through Friday.

Lighter winds today will give into moderate to fresh E/SE trades from tomorrow through Friday (lighter and variable each morning), with weaker E/SE trades from the weekend.

Later Friday and more so Saturday morning, an inconsistent pulse of S/SW groundswell is due, generated by a strong but unfavourably tracking polar low that fired up east of Heard Island yesterday.

This swell is expected to offer 4-5ft sets at swell magnets Saturday morning, easing into Sunday.

Small surf will then be seen Monday, but a small increase in acute S'ly swell is on the cards for Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, generated by a slow moving mid-latitude low forming west-southwest of WA.

This low will direct a fetch of S/SE gales through our southern swell window, with the S'ly swell only hitting the most exposed breaks Tuesday afternoon and early Wednesday to 4-6ft, easing quickly into the afternoon and Thursday.

Longer term we're expected to see a prolonged episode of moderate to large SW-S/SW groundswell into the start of September.

This will be due to a strong broad and slow moving node of the Long Wave Trough moving through the Indian Ocean. We'll have a closer look at the specifics in the coming updates though.

16 day Bali Forecast Graph
16 day East Java Forecast Graph
16 day Sumbawa Forecast Graph