St Tugen Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for St Tugen over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I’m gonna be straight with you – this outlook is a real slow burner. There’s a big gap of flat or junk conditions at the start. The first session that even gets a mention isn’t until Thursday the 23rd of July, and even then, it’s barely a ripple. We’re talking about a long stretch of nothing much before that.

So, here’s the story. The first window worth paddling out for is Thursday morning, the 23rd of July. The swell is tiny, only 2ft from the NW, and the period is a short 6 seconds – that’s windswell, not much push. But the wind is dead glassy, which is a beautiful thing. The water is sitting at 66°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s comfortable. The energy is weak (60), so don’t expect any power. It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary. The best thing about it is the clean surface.

After that, things get messy again. We've got a few days of offshore winds but with next to no swell – 0.7ft to 1ft – and that’s just not gonna get you out of first gear. The wind is clean, but there’s no wave to ride.

Now, hold on to your board, because the real action, and I mean *real* action, kicks off on Sunday the 27th of July. The swell starts to build, but it’s accompanied by strong cross-onshore winds making it totally messy. The energy starts climbing – we hit 180 (moderate) on Monday morning, and by Tuesday the 28th we’re seeing 5ft swell with energy in the 400s (strong). But the wind is just ruining it. It’s a choppy, bumpy mess.

The standout, and I mean the *only* standout worth getting excited about, is the morning of Thursday the 30th of July. The swell is a solid 13ft from the W with a long period of 12 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, and the energy is a massive 4502 (very strong). The wind is a cross-shore breeze from the NW, so it’s not perfect, but it’s manageable. However, I gotta be real with you – this is way too big for beginners. 13ft is for experts only. The forecast says it’s too big for this break, so if you’re not a seasoned charger, sit this one out or watch from the cliff. The Friday morning, the 31st of July, is also a good one for experienced surfers: 8ft from the WNW, period of 10 seconds, and *glassy* conditions – that’s a rare combo. Energy is still high at 1111 (strong), but again, that’s solid, expert-level surf.

Overall, the best on offer is that Thursday the 30th morning for the big-wave crew, and the Friday the 31st morning for the strong intermediate to expert surfer if you want a bit more manageable size with glassy conditions. Everything else is either too small, too windy, or too big and messy. The water is a touch warmer than normal, so you can leave the thickest wetsuit at home.

Stay safe out there, and don’t be a hero if it’s overhead.

Rusty

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