Etang-Sale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let's have a look at what's on the cards for our little stretch of reef.

We've got one spot to work with over the next couple of weeks, and the real juice is all in the second week. The first few days are a bit of a write-off—some half-decent morning glass, but the swell is small and the wind turns messy fast. From the 20th though, things start to crank.

Etang-Sale (reef, advanced) kicks off the period on Tuesday morning, July 14th, with a clean 6 ft SSW swell, glassy as a mirror. The water's sitting at about 76°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year. The combined energy is solid (1429), and the 14-second period tells you this is a proper groundswell. That morning window is the only real chance for a surf that day – by the afternoon a risk of thunderstorms and a 15 km/h onshore wind chop it up.

The 15th and 16th are small and crossed-up, not worth paddling out for. Friday, the 17th, sees a drop in quality despite a long-period 17-second pulse – that 4 ft S swell is there, but the wind is onshore and the wave comment flags it as marginal.

Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th offer clean morning windows with lighter winds, but the swell is only 3 ft. It’s a nice paddle, but nothing that’ll get your heart racing.

Now, here’s the standout. Monday, July 20th, and we’re on. The morning is clean with a 8 ft SW swell and a 16-second period – combined energy of 2656 (moderate-to-strong). The wind is a light cross-offshore from the south. Then the afternoon is even bigger: 10 ft from the SSW, still clean with a 15 km/h cross-offshore. The energy reading jumps to 3167. This is proper big-reef territory – for advanced surfers only. The whole week from the 20th through to the 23rd, you've got consistent 7-10 ft SSW/SW groundswell and clean conditions, with a standout on the morning of the 23rd – a 10 ft SSW swell, offshore winds at 20 km/h, and energy of 3315. That's the call.

The following week, from the 24th onwards, stays good but gets a bit more wind. The 24th still has solid 6 ft SW swell with a 12-second period and moderate offshore winds from the SE. The 25th will be a solid 7 ft at 16 seconds and clean in the afternoon. The 26th is a bit blown-out by the fresh offshore breeze, but the swell is there. Then the big finish: the mornings of the 28th and 29th. July 28th Tuesday morning: glassy calm, 8 ft SW swell at 15 seconds, energy of 3269. July 29th Wednesday morning: 10 ft SW swell, 14-second period, glassy, with an energy reading of 3667 – the biggest energy reading on the board. That's an all-time morning for anyone who knows what they're doing on this reef.

Bottom line: the first week is a warm-up. The real session is from July 20th onward, with the absolute peak on the 23rd and then again on the 28th and 29th mornings. Get your skates on for that.

- Rusty

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