Etang-Sale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about what’s coming. We’ve only got one break in the picture for the next couple of weeks: Etang-Sale. It’s a reef break, so it’s for the advanced guys only. The water’s running a bit warmer than usual for this time of year, about 77°, which is a nice little something.

Nothing happening on Tuesday the 7th. The swell is a fat 10 feet from the south, but the wind is a howling 45 km/h offshore. It’ll look clean, but you’ll be fighting for your life just to get out. No good.

First real chance is Wednesday morning the 8th. This is for the experienced crew. You’ve got a clean 7 feet south swell with a period around 11 seconds, and a light offshore breeze from the ESE at 9 mph. The combined energy is strong at 1699. The afternoon is still decent with a 6 foot swell, but the wind is lighter.

Thursday morning the 9th is a gem. Swell is 5 feet from the SSE, and the wind is glassy, dead calm. That’s as good as it gets. Wave energy is moderate at 552. The afternoon turns messy with a cross-onshore wind.

Then we hit a small spell. Friday the 10th is tiny, just 4 feet, but the morning is glassy with a 15-second period – that’s a long-period groundswell. On a reef, that could be lined up and beautiful. The energy is 641. Saturday the 11th is a write-off with light cross-onshore winds ruffling a 6 foot swell.

The absolute standout is Sunday the 12th. No doubt about it. Morning and afternoon are both glassy with a solid 8 foot swell from the SSW. The period sticks at 15 seconds, and the combined energy is huge – 3309 in the morning, 2834 in the afternoon. This is heavy, powerful reef break stuff for experts only. Dead calm wind, clean as a whistle. This is the day.

After that, quality drops. The middle of the week is a mix of onshore winds and rain. Size hangs around 6 to 7 feet, but the conditions aren’t clean. Friday morning the 17th looks promising again – glassy with a 8 foot swell from the southeast. That’s a different direction, and the energy is strong at 2031. Worth a look.

The second week gets iffy. The morning of the 20th is good with a 6 foot swell and a moderate offshore breeze, energy over 2000. But from the 21st, we get strong offshore winds again – clean faces but a brutal paddle. The swell drops to 5 feet with high winds on the 22nd.

Bottom line: Sunday the 12th of July is the one to go for. Wednesday the 8th and Friday the 17th are solid backup days for the advanced crew. The rest is waiting for the wind to sort itself out.

Rusty.

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