Caves (Sandsend) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let's have a look at what's coming up for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, it's a quiet start. We're looking at a real flat spell to kick things off. The first few days are pretty much a write-off with tiny, weak waves. The water temp is sitting at 62°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that's a small comfort if you're just going for a paddle.

For Caves (Sandsend), it's a waiting game. The first hint of anything surfable shows up on Monday the 27th of July, but even then it's ordinary. You've got a 2ft swell from the north with a short 8-second period, so the energy is low (75). The wind is offshore from the west at 16 mph, which will keep things clean, but it's just too small and weak to get excited about. Because this spot is a point break and inconsistent, it needs a decent push to work. This isn't it.

The whole of the first week is a struggle. You'll see tiny waves, mostly 1 to 2ft, with the combined swell energy barely cracking 30 or 40. The wind is offshore a lot of the time, which is clean, but it's like polishing a turd. There's a few days of cross-shore winds too, making it even more messy. Honestly, for a point break, this setup is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, if the wind is any good.

Into the second week, we finally get a pulse. The standout in this whole 16-day window is Thursday the 6th of August. The morning session sees a 2ft north swell, but the period jumps to 11 seconds. That's a proper groundswell, and the energy is up to 82. The wind is light from the NNW, giving a clean cross-off breeze. It's still small, but it’s the best shape and quality we'll see for a while. The afternoon gets a bit bigger, with 4ft swell from the north, but it's onshore wind from the ESE, so it'll be a bit lumpy.

Then Friday the 7th of August has some merit too. The morning brings a 4ft north-northeast swell, with moderate offshore wind from the WNW at 12 mph. The energy is solid at 258. That's a proper size for the intermediate surfer, and the offshore wind will groom it. The period is a bit short at 9 seconds, so it won't be the most powerful, but it's rideable.

After that, it drops off again. Saturday the 8th of August has a glassy morning with 3ft waves, but the period is short and the energy is moderate (142). Then it's back to tiny, weak waves and onshore winds for the rest of the run.

So, the bottom line: if you're desperate, the Thursday morning the 6th is your best bet for the cleanest, most lined-up waves, but it's tiny. The Friday morning the 7th has the best combination of size and clean wind, but the short period limits the quality. For the rest of it, leave the board in the car and go for a walk.

Rusty.

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