Disappearing Sands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board, let’s talk about what’s happening at Disappearing Sands. This is a tricky one. This is an exposed beginner spot, but it’s pretty inconsistent, and honestly, the next two weeks look like a tough run. For a place that rarely sees consistent swell, this is one of those periods where the surf gods go quiet.

The water temperature is sittin’ around 82°F which is about average for this time of year, so at least it’ll feel nice while you’re paddling around for the small stuff.

It’s a dry spell at the start - no real recommendations for the first several days. From Saturday the 29th of August right through to the morning of Saturday the 5th of September, the waves are tiny, weak, and often blown out or just messy. Scores are low across the board here. Winds flip around, mostly light cross-onshore, but swell heights are a paltry 1.0ft to 3ft, and periods are short - 6 or 7 seconds - so there’s not enough energy to make anything worth paddling out for. The combined swell energy is under 100 for most of that stretch, which just tells you how limp it is.

Now, there is a glimmer. On the afternoon of Saturday the 5th of September, Disappearing Sands suddenly wakes up. We’ve got glassy conditions, a light offshore from the WNW, and the water goes flat as a mirror. Swell is still small at 1ft, but the period jumps way up to 18 seconds. That long-period groundswell is pushing combined energy up over 200 (213, to be exact). That’s moderate wave energy, and for a spot that needs some oomph, this is actually the standout. Clean glassy surf with a long-period swell from the SSW will mean waves are well-shaped for a beginner break, though with that long period the sets will be a bit slower and more drawn-out - but hey, that gives you time to pick your line.

If you want to get wet, that Saturday afternoon window is your best bet for the whole 16 days. It’s not big, but it’s clean.

After that, Sunday the 6th and Monday the 7th see the swell pick up slightly - around 3ft to 4ft - but the wind swings around, and you get cross-off and cross-shore breezes that chop things up. The energy levels climb to strong territory (over 500) thanks to a mix of swells, but the conditions aren’t quite tidy enough for a beginner spot. It’s messy. Later in the second week, into September 10th-13th, you get more of the same - waist-high slop with onshore winds, and only the afternoon of Saturday the 12th shows another glassy window, but again the swell is small and the period drops back.

Overall, the takeaway is: don’t get your hopes up for much. Disappearing Sands is a quiet spot at the best of times, and this stretch has a lot of waiting. The standout is the glassy window on the afternoon of Saturday, September 5th - it’s your one real chance for a clean, rideable session. After that, it’s back to mostly poor conditions. Crowds can be around sometimes at this spot, so if you do go on that glassy day, you might have some company, but with the small swell it shouldn’t be full.

Rusty.

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