St Tugen Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the St Tugen area. The water temperature is 63°, which is about normal for this time of year.

Honestly, the next week or so is a bit of a write-off. We’ve got a fair bit of swell on the way, but the wind is going to be a real issue. From Wednesday the 26th right through to late August, it’s onshore and messy almost constantly. The swell is mostly from the SW or WSW, but it’s getting torn up by strong breezes. On Saturday the 29th, we’re looking at a solid 8ft of short-period (7 seconds) swell, but with 25 mph onshore wind, it’s going to be a washing machine. You’d be better off watching the storm from the carpark.

There’s a bit of a gap in the poor conditions. The first glimmer of hope pops up on the morning of Friday the 4th of September. Overnight, the wind swings around to the NE, blowing offshore at 6 mph. That’s clean. We’ll have a 4ft groundswell from the west with a period of 11 seconds, so the waves will have some push and shape. The combined swell energy is moderate (393). St Tugen is exposed to the WSW, so this westerly swell lines up nicely. It’s going to be a long-period swell, which means it could break a bit straight on the beach, but the offshore wind should hold it up. This is easily the standout of the whole outlook. Keep in mind it can get busy here sometimes, so get in early.

That clean window doesn’t last. Saturday the 5th has big cross-offshore wind (18-22 mph) which will blow the tops off, and the swell drops right away.

The next real hope is on Sunday the 6th of September. Another clean morning, with a gentle offshore breeze from the ENE at 9 mph. The swell is a touch smaller at 4ft from the WNW, with a 10-second period (268 combined energy). It’s not as powerful as the Friday session, but it’ll be clean and fun on the longboard.

Then, into the second week, there’s a big spike around Monday the 7th of September. The swell jumps to 7ft to 8ft from the west, with a 11-second period. The combined energy is massive – over 1000 in the morning and a huge 2400 in the afternoon! That’s a lot of power. However, the wind is cross-onshore at 9 mph, so it’ll be lumpy and a bit of a wrestle. This is expert-only territory at that size, and the choppy face will make it difficult. It’s a long way out, so keep an eye on the forecasts, but the potential for a big, heavy session is there for the brave.

After that, things trail off again, with smaller, cleaner but weak surf for the 9th and 10th. The 10th of September sees the swell drop to barely anything, with a tiny 2ft from the west and a mixed up short period.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a right-off thanks to the wind. Your two best bets are Friday the 4th of September morning for the best quality, and Sunday the 6th of September morning as a smaller, cleaner backup.

Rusty.

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