St Tugen Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. We’re lookin’ at the Saint-Tugen stretch, and I’ve got to be straight with you – this 16-day window is a tough one. There are long gaps with hardly anything worth paddling out for. The nearest decent surf isn’t until September 4th, and even then it’s not a full-blown classic. Let’s walk through it.

The whole run from today, Saturday 22nd August, right through to Tuesday 1st September is pretty much a write-off. The swell stays small and wobbly, with weak energy (mostly under 100, a few days in the low 100s). Wind is almost always working against us – cross-onshore or onshore, often moderate to strong. On Sunday 23rd afternoon we get a brief moment of glassy conditions with 2ft swell from the SW at 12 seconds period, but it’s tiny and the score is just a 1. Nothing to drive for.

From Wednesday 26th we see a bump in size – up to 3ft – but the wind stays cross-onshore and choppy, and the period drops to 6–7 seconds. Not worth it. Then Thursday 27th and Friday 28th see the swell push to 5ft–7ft, but the wind is a fresh to strong cross-onshore, making it lumpy and messy. The combined wave energy climbs to 301–646 (moderate to strong), but the quality is poor. This is more of a kite-surf zone than a paddle-surf setup right now. The water here is about 64°, which is 1° cooler than average for the time of year – nothing unusual.

The weekend of 29th–31st August keeps the swell around 5ft–7ft, but it’s still cross-on or onshore, with onshore winds by Sunday. Not clean. The first genuine standout finally shows up on Thursday 3rd September. The morning session offers 4ft from the WNW with a long 11-second period, and a cross-offshore wind from the north, keeping it clean. The energy is moderate at 338. It’s still not a massive day but for this stretch, it’s the best we’ve seen. The afternoon holds 5ft WNW at 10 seconds, still cross-off and clean – serviceable.

But the real highlight lands on Friday 4th September. Morning brings 4ft from the WNW with a 10-second period, light offshore wind from the NE, and energy reading 441 (moderate). The forecast says “expect good surf conditions” – rare words in this outlook. The afternoon builds to 5ft WNW, 13-second period (that’s long-period groundswell), with light cross-shore wind. Combined energy hits 947 (strong). This is the pick of the fortnight. Just a heads up: longer-period swell like this can run a bit straight on beach breaks, but at Saint-Tugen, being a point break, it should wrap in nicely. Crowds are listed as “sometimes” – so don’t expect to be alone, but it won’t be packed.

After that, Saturday 5th September rolls in with onshore wind and mess again – the window closes quickly. The 6th is similar.

So to sum it up: the first full week has almost nothing. The best surf arrives on Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th September, with Friday being the standout. Everything beyond that in the second week fades. Long-range call is promising but less certain – keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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