St Tugen Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Saint-Tugen over the next couple of weeks. Gotta be straight with you – it’s a rough start and a long wait for anything decent. The first week is mostly a write-off, so don’t get your hopes up early.

The outlook starts on Saturday, August 29th, and honestly, it’s ugly. Strong onshore winds are ruining everything. We’ve got a messy 8ft swell from the SW, but with that WSW wind howling at 28 mph, it’s just blown-out chaos with a combined energy of 875. It gets worse in the afternoon with a big 12ft lump and even stronger winds. Sunday and Monday aren’t much better – wind, rain, and crumbly, weak surf. The first real chance of anything rideable doesn’t show up until Monday afternoon, August 31st, when the wind eases a little and goes cross-shore. Even then, it’s only a marginal 7ft swell at 10 seconds, with a combined energy of 815. It’s choppy, but at least the wind is gentler.

The rest of that first week is just poor. We get a small window on Tuesday morning, September 1st, with a weak 4ft swell – combined energy of 276 – but the wind is still cross-onshore. Not worth rushing for. It drops right off after that, with tiny, onshore windswell barely hitting 2ft in the middle of the week. A minor bump of 6ft appears on Thursday, September 3rd, but it’s chopped up again. The first week is a total loss.

Now, here’s the standout: if you’ve got patience, Saturday morning, September 5th, is where it gets interesting. The sun’s out, the wind drops to almost nothing – glassy conditions, a gentle breeze from the WNW at just 3 mph. There’s a clean 5ft groundswell from the WNW with a very long period of 12 seconds. The water’s about average temperature for the time of year. The combined energy is a healthy 651, and with the glassy surface, expect very good surf conditions. This is the pick of the first half of the outlook – a solid beach break set-up with clean lines. Crowds are possible here, so get in early.

We then hit a dry spell again. The next real excitement is a full week later, starting Monday afternoon, September 7th. The swell cranks up to 10ft from the SW, but the problem is it’s too big for this break. It’s genuinely not for beginners – this is expert territory only. The combined energy jumps to 1117. Wind and tide are actually decent, but the size and power make it a real handful.

The best of the entire forecast is Tuesday, September 8th. We get a solid 10ft swell from the west, with a long period of 10 to 11 seconds, and the wind is a clean cross-shore NW breeze at 12 mph. The combined energy is massive at 3194. It’s still too big for most punters, but for the crew who know what they’re doing, this is the session to aim for. The cross-shore wind will keep the takeoff zone relatively clean, and the long period means proper power and shape. Just be aware that a long-period westerly can make a beach break a bit walled-out. This is only for the experienced.

Wednesday, September 9th, keeps the size at 10ft with a light SE cross-shore – glassy conditions again – and combined energy of 2333. Another one for experts. After that, it drops off quickly. The second week sees the swell fade and the wind turns onshore again, with a few small pulses of 5ft to 5ft but poor conditions from Thursday through to Sunday, September 13th. Nothing else worth chasing.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a bust until the glassy morning of Saturday, September 5th – that’s your best bet for a fun, clean session without getting pounded. If you’re an expert looking for a challenge, the big westerly swell on Tuesday, September 8th is the standout, but only if you’re comfortable in serious size. Keep the longboard at home for that one.

Stay patient, lads. Rusty out.

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