Saaga Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, it's Rusty here, and I’m lookin’ at the charts for our local zone. Honest truth, the next week and a half is gonna be a battle. We’ve got some serious energy coming in, but the wind is going to be our nemesis, keeping things pretty messy. Let’s break it down.

First things first, the only spot that's on the cards is Saaga. It’s an advanced reef break, so not one for the grommets. It’s fairly exposed to the swell, and it handles it best when the swell comes out of the southeast, which lines up with what we’ll see.

Right now and for the next few days, the conditions are looking grim. That ESE wind is just relentless, blowing 18 to 25 mph, either cross or cross-on, creating lumpy, cross-chop. We’re seeing swell around 3ft to 7ft, but it’s completely unsurfable. The combined swell energy is moderate to high, hitting 897 early on and climbing up to 2481 by Friday afternoon, but it’s all for nothing with this wind. Water temps are sitting at a warm 81°F, which is bang on average for this time of year, but you won't be feeling it when you’re getting blown off your board.

We finally see a light at the end of the tunnel around Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th of September. The wind starts to ease back and turns cross-offshore, which is the first sign of hope we’ve had. The swell size is still solid, between 5ft to 8ft, but it’s coming from the southeast with a very short period of only 7 seconds – that’s a windswell, so the shape won’t be pretty. The combined energy is strong, at 722 to 863. Still, it’s going to be clean, and that’s a huge step up from what we’ve had. It’s not a standout classic, but it's the best bet in a run of garbage.

The real standout happens on Sunday the 13th through Monday the 14th of September. We get a proper jump in quality. The wind stays a clean cross-off from the ENE, blowing only 9 to 15 mph. The swell turns southwest and becomes a proper groundswell – the period jumps to 18 to 21 seconds, which is a very long period. This will bring serious energy and power. The combined energy numbers are huge, blowing up to 3616. This is not a beach break kind of swell; that long period will make it dumpy and straight on the sand, but for a reef like Saaga, this is exactly what you want. It’s going to be a big, powerful wave for experienced surfers only.

The week after that, things start to fade off again. The wind switches back to a messy cross-on, and the swell drops back under 5ft. There’s some leftover energy from the south, but nothing worth the paddle out.

So if you’re hanging out for the best of it, your window is that stretch from Saturday the 12th through to Monday the 14th. The Sunday and Monday morning sessions with that long-period SW groundswell and clean, cross-off wind are the clear standout. It’s a reef break at an advanced level, so crowds are possible, but for the quality that’s forecast, it’ll be worth it.

Stay patient, and look to that second week for some real juice.

Rusty

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