Etang-Sale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got a good look at what’s coming up for Etang-Salé over the next couple of weeks.

The first week kicks off with some clean, fun-sized surf, but the real standout is a proper pulse of energy that hits around the 20th and 21st of July. After that, things get a bit wild and woolly into the second week, with some serious size but tricky conditions.

Alright, let’s start with the now. Friday 17th July is a bit of a mixed bag. The morning has a small 3 ft S swell with a period of 17 seconds, but the wind is cross-on at 6 mph, so it’s a bit messy. The afternoon cleans up nicely with a cross-off breeze and a 5 ft S swell, making for a cleaner session. The water temp is a balmy 76°, which is about average for the time of year.

Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July keep the trend going with clean, cross-off winds and swells around 3 ft to 4 ft from the S and SSW. The combined energy is moderate (382 to 574), and the waves will be tidy but not huge. Good for a cruise.

Now, the standout window arrives Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st July. Monday morning is glassy, with a 8 ft SSW swell and a period of 14 seconds. The combined energy is strong at 2316, and the conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This is the pick of the forecast. Tuesday morning holds onto that quality with a 6 ft SSW swell, glassy conditions, and strong energy (1161). The wind is glassy or very light, so the surf will be clean and powerful. These are the days to clear your schedule.

Wednesday 22nd through Friday 24th July sees a shift to stronger offshore winds from the SE, blowing at 16 to 22 mph. The swell holds around 5 ft to 3 ft, with clean faces but a bit of a fresh breeze. The combined energy is moderate to strong (716 to 1060). This is more for the dedicated crew who don’t mind a bit of wind.

The weekend of 25th and 26th July eases off. Saturday morning is glassy again with a 4 ft SW swell, and the energy is moderate (672). Sunday 26th July brings a longer-period swell of 20 to 21 seconds from the SW, but the wind is cross-on, making it marginal. The energy is strong (1323 to 2028), but the conditions won’t do it justice.

Then we hit the big stuff. Monday 27th July sees a 10 ft to 12 ft SSW swell with a period of 17 to 18 seconds and combined energy through the roof (7044 to 7515). This is exclusively for experts, and the wind is onshore or cross-on, so it’s a messy, heavy beast. Not for the faint-hearted.

Tuesday 28th July is a better bet for the brave. The swell is still 10 ft SSW, but the wind goes offshore at 16 mph, cleaning it up. The energy is still massive (4948), and the conditions are excellent for experienced surfers. This is the second standout, but only for those with serious skills.

From Wednesday 29th July to Friday 31st July, the swell drops a bit to 7 ft to 8 ft, but the wind stays strong offshore at 19 to 25 mph. The energy remains powerful (2827 to 3608), but the fresh to strong breeze makes paddling a battle. It’s clean but hard work.

The outlook wraps up on Saturday 1st August with a drop back to 4 ft SW swell, moderate offshore winds, and moderate energy (672 to 864). A more relaxed session to finish.

So, the clear standout is Monday 20th and Tuesday 21st July for the best combination of size, clean conditions, and quality. The second standout is Tuesday 28th July for the big-wave crew, but only if you’re experienced.

Rusty.

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