Caves (Sandsend) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Caves (Sandsend).

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window starts with a proper flat spell. There is no surf worth paddling out for from now until the 16th of July. That's a solid week of nothing doing, with the odd tiny bump that barely registers. The combined wave energy is well below 100 for most of that period, with readings like 25, 61, and 41 lb⋅ft/s showing how weak it really is. The water temp is sitting at 59°F, which is bang on average for the time of year, so at least you won't get a shock when you do get in.

The first real sign of life shows up on Thursday the 16th of July. The swell starts to fill in, and by the afternoon we're looking at a 6ft swell coming from the east, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy jumps to a moderate 360. Now, 6ft is getting solid, but with short-period windswell, it's not going to be the cleanest shape. The wind is a cross-offshore from the NNW at 9 mph, which is clean, but the size might make it a bit much for beginners. The wave comment calls it "marginal," which is fair – it could be a bit lumpy.

The standout moment, and I mean the real gem in this outlook, arrives on Tuesday the 21st of July. The morning shows a 3ft swell from the north with a period of 8 seconds and combined energy of 113 – moderate, but it's the conditions that make it special. The wind is offshore from the WNW at a mere 3 mph, described as a "slight air," keeping the surface clean. Then, in the afternoon, it goes absolutely glassy – zero wind, calm as a lake. The swell holds at 3ft from the north with an 8-second period, and combined energy of 125. For a point break like Caves, a north swell is pretty good, and those conditions will be as clean as it gets. The waves will be small but perfectly formed. You'll want to be on it. Just be aware that crowds are listed as "sometimes," so you might have company at this gem.

After that, the end of the outlook gets a bit messy. The 22nd to the 24th of July sees some bigger winds, including a strong offshore breeze from the west at 25 mph on the 23rd afternoon – that'll make it hard to paddle into, even if it's clean. There are a few small, ordinary waves (2ft to 2ft) on the 24th, but nothing to get excited about.

So, in a nutshell: skip the first week, keep an eye on Thursday the 16th for a punchy but messy wave, but the real call is Tuesday the 21st of July for the glassy conditions. That's your window.

Rusty.

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