Etang-Sale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s look at what’s on the menu for the next couple of weeks at Etang-Sale. This is a reef set-up that waits for a proper SSW swell, and when it lights up, it’s a proper challenge for the experienced crew.

The water is sitting at 77°F which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might not need the thickest rubber.

The first real action kicks off Wednesday afternoon, the 26th of August. We’ve got a solid 4ft SSW groundswell, with a very long period of 18 seconds, rolling in. The combined energy is strong, sitting at 1701. The wind is a light cross-offshore breeze, keeping things clean. This is excellent, but it’s a long-period swell on a reef, so it’s for the advanced crew only.

Thursday the 27th is where things get serious. The swell jumps to 10ft from the SSW, with a period of 17 seconds. The energy is really strong (5721). The wind is a light cross-offshore again, keeping the surface clean. This is the standout for the first week. It’s exceptional surf for experts, but at that size, it’s too big for the vast majority of surfers. You’ll want to be on your A-game.

The wind picks up Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th. We’re looking at strong offshore winds from the SE, up to 28 mph, with a big 13ft to 15ft SSW swell. The energy is very strong (9676-11309). While the wind is offshore, it’s going to be a battle to get out and hold your position. The conditions are for the truly elite, and the strong wind will make it a fight. The setup looks a little more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those days.

Sunday the 30th sees the swell back down to 8ft from the S, but the energy is still strong (3780). The morning has a slight offshore breeze, making it clean. This is still excellent for experienced surfers, but more manageable than the previous days.

We then hit a lull. From Monday the 31st of August through to the end of the first week of September, the swell drops right off. The waves get small and weak, with energy dropping into the low hundreds. The wind is a mix of glassy and light cross-onshore, but there just isn't enough swell to work with. That’s a solid 5-6 day gap with nothing really worth paddling out for.

The pulse picks up again around the 5th and 6th of September, with a 4ft to 6ft SSW swell and a moderate offshore wind. The energy is moderate to strong (763-1493). This is a decent window of clean, surfable waves for the experienced crew.

But the real standout in the second week is Wednesday the 9th of September. We’re looking at a 10ft SSW groundswell with a very long period of 16 seconds. The energy is very strong (4323). The wind is glassy in the morning. This is a long-range call, so treat it as promising but less certain, but if it lines up, it will be the best day of the second week. The afternoon gets a light cross-onshore, so get it early.

The 8th of September also looks good, with a 6ft SW swell, glassy conditions and a very strong energy reading (2759). That’s another excellent window for the experts.

So, to wrap it up: the two true standouts are Thursday the 27th of August for the first big pulse, and then Wednesday the 9th of September for the second week’s big swell. Both are for experts only. The rest of the time, pick your sessions when the wind is light and the swell is in the 4ft to 8ft range.

Rusty.

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