Caves (Sandsend) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this straight. I’m looking at the next 16 days, and if you’re chasing waves around here, you’re going to be doing a lot of staring at flat, gutless ocean. The session I’m most keen on is Thursday afternoon, August 6th. It’s not huge, but it’s the best of a pretty ordinary bunch.

We kick things off on Thursday morning, August 6th. There’s some swell at Caves (Sandsend) – about 3ft from the NNW – but it’s short-period, weak energy (83), and the 20 km/h cross-off wind is making it messy. Not worth paddling out for. The afternoon is a different story. The swell bumps up to 5ft from the north, the period stretches to 8 seconds, and the wind drops right out to a 5 km/h cross-off. Energy jumps to 291, which is moderate, and it’s clean. This is your window. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best surf we’re going to see for a while. Water temp is 62°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you can get away with a slightly thinner suit.

Friday, August 7th, is a step down. Morning has 4ft of north swell but a 20 km/h cross-off wind makes it junky. The afternoon drops to 3ft, but the wind goes offshore, clean, though the energy is weak (99). It's surfable, but just barely. Saturday and Sunday are a write-off. The swell dies to nothing – 1ft and 0.3ft respectively. You’re looking at a flat spell. The combined energy is in the single digits and teens. It’s poor.

Next week doesn’t offer much hope either. From Monday, August 10th through to Wednesday, August 12th, we have small, short-period north swell, but the winds are all over the shop – cross-shore, cross-on, and onshore. The waves are blown out and choppy. Not worth your time. The energy is weak to moderate at best, but the quality just isn't there.

Thursday, August 13th, stays poor with tiny 1ft waves. Then, on Friday morning, August 14th, there’s a small window. The wind goes dead calm, glassy, and the swell picks up a touch to 2ft from the north with an 11-second period. It’s clean, but the energy is still weak (93). It’s a long-period groundswell, but it’s just too small to be exciting. A quick log session at best.

The following weekend and the start of the next week are poor. Small, weak, and messy. There’s a bit more push on Tuesday, August 18th, with 4ft of north swell and a solid 35 km/h offshore wind. It’ll be clean, but the period is a short 6-7 seconds, and the energy is moderate (97-116). It’s going to be a blustery, windblown mess of a wave, more suited to a kite than a paddle board.

The final few days, from August 19th to 21st, stay small and weak. There are a few glassy mornings, but the swell is just not there. The period is short, and the energy is low. It’s flat.

So, bottom line: Thursday afternoon, August 6th is the standout. The afternoon on Friday the 14th has clean conditions but is very small. Everything else is a waiting game. It’s a poor run, but the water’s a touch warmer than usual, so at least you won’t freeze while you’re staring at it.

Rusty

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