Caves (Sandsend) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what we’ve got coming up over the next couple of weeks around Caves (Sandsend). I’ll be straight with you – it’s a pretty bleak run for a while. This is a point break that’s inconsistent at the best of times, and we’re going through a long, quiet stretch.

The good news is the water temp is sitting about average for the time of year, so no nasty surprises there. But for the first ten days or so, from Friday 24th July right through until Monday 3rd August, the swell is tiny. We’re looking at ankle-biters mostly under 3 ft with a very weak combined swell energy (scraping single digits and low double digits). There’s not enough power to push a sea kayak, let alone a surfboard. A few days do have clean, glassy conditions, like Friday afternoon (24th) and that Monday morning (27th) with a light cross-off, but there’s simply no wave to ride. That gap is a real dry spell.

Into the first week of August, the swell does start to tick up a bit. On Sunday the 2nd, we see some 3 ft to 4 ft from the NE, but the period is a weak 6 seconds and the wind is onshore. That’s a messy, bumpy combo – more of a kitesurfing setup than a paddling one, to be honest. Monday 3rd gets a touch more size at 4 ft from the NE, and the combined energy hits 150 (moderate), but again, it’s a short-period, onshore wind mess.

Now, the one true standout in this entire forecast is Friday, 7th August. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The swell finally builds to a solid 5 ft from the north, with a period of 9 seconds. Combined energy hits the high 390s – that’s proper wave energy. The wind is offshore from the WNW in the morning and backing to a light cross-off in the afternoon. That’s going to keep the waves clean and lined up. At 5 ft this is a good size for confident intermediates, but for the total beginners, that’s a bit on the big side. It’s a long way off, so the confidence isn’t total, but the signals are strong.

The weekend after that settles back down into smaller, less exciting surf. Saturday 8th has a drop-off in energy and a risk of thunderstorms with a strong offshore wind, which could make things tricky.

Look, for an inconsistent spot like this, a blank run isn’t unusual. Keep your eye on that Friday the 7th, that’s the one bright day in an otherwise poor 16-day window. Forecasts can always twitch, but for now, patience is the word.

Rusty

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