Saaga Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for this region. It’s a bit of a rough patch for the next couple of weeks, so I’ll break it down for you.

The outlook starts on Saturday, 18 July, and honestly, it’s a tough start. The first few days are a write-off. We’ve got a solid, long-period groundswell running – a 16 second period from the SSE – with a combined energy of 2669 (moderate wave energy), but it’s completely blown out by strong cross-onshore winds and the surf is messy. The swell height is 5 feet, but the conditions are just poor. This continues into Sunday the 19th, with the swell jumping to 8 feet on the Sunday afternoon, but period dropping to 8 seconds (short period) and still cross-onshore winds. That’s too big for beginners and not clean for anyone.

Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st are still ordinary. The wind stays fresh and cross-shore, keeping the surf lumpy. The swell drops a bit, but the energy is still moderate, and the best you’ll get is a “marginal” rating.

We finally see a slight improvement on Wednesday the 22nd. The morning is still cross-shore with a cross-chop, but the afternoon brings a cleaner, cross-offshore wind from the ENE. The swell is a smaller 3 feet from the SSW with a 16-second period, but the combined energy is weak at 838. It’s a small, clean window, but it’s the first glimmer of something rideable.

The best chance in this whole period comes on Thursday the 23rd, in the morning. The wind goes almost glassy – a slight 5 km/h (3 mph) breeze from the east – and the swell is a solid 5 feet from the south with a long 18-second period. The combined energy is 1714 (moderate wave energy). This is a groundswell, and at Saaga, a reef break, that long period will be a beauty. The waves will have shape, power, and longer waits between sets. It’s a standout for sure, but it’s only “marginal” in the forecast due to tide, so keep an eye on that. The water temp is a warm 82°, which is about normal for this time of year.

From Friday the 24th onward, it gets tough again. The winds turn back to onshore or cross-onshore, the swell drops, and the energy weakens. Friday afternoon sees a bit of a bump with 5 feet from the SSW, but it’s onshore wind and the quality is poor. The rest of the week into early August is a mix of light winds and rain showers, but the swell is small and inconsistent, with combined energy dropping below 1000 (weak). The period from 25 July to 2 August is a long gap of poor to marginal conditions, with nothing really worth paddling out for.

The standout here is clearly the morning of Thursday, 23 July. If you can get out, that’s your window. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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