Salamumu Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. We’ve got a long 16-day window ahead, but I’m not gonna lie to you – it’s a tough one. The whole period is a bit of a battle with the wind, and we’re looking at a solid run of poor conditions before we catch a tiny glimpse of hope right at the end of the month.

The main issue is the persistent cross and cross-onshore winds, mostly from the ESE and SE, blowing at 18 to 25 mph. That’s gonna keep the surface messy and lumpy. The swell energy is on the table, with some moderate to strong readings – you’ll see combined energy values in the 700s up to 1165 – but the wind just ruins the party. The wave period is a bit all over the place too, from short 8-second stuff up to long 15-17 second groundswell, but it doesn’t matter much when the wind is howling.

For the first week, from Sunday the 23rd right through to Saturday the 29th of August, it’s a write-off. The score is a flat zero every day. The wind is just too strong and in the wrong direction. On the 27th we get a brief cross-shore wind, but it’s still lumpy and messy. The swell is there, around 3 ft to 6 ft, but it’s all cross-onshore chop. The break is Salamumu, a reef setup, and with these onshores, it’s just not worth paddling out. The water temp is a normal 81°F, so no surprises there.

Now, here’s the one bright spot – and it’s a late one. Sunday the 30th of August. We finally get a shift. The wind swings NNE, dropping to a moderate 15 mph, and it’s cross-offshore. That’s clean. The swell is a solid 4 ft from the south with a long 17-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 1438 – that’s strong wave energy. This is a proper groundswell setup. The reef here should handle that long period well, shaping up some nice lines. It’s not a stellar score, just a 3, and it’s described as “marginal,” but in this forecast, it’s the absolute standout. The water is still warm and the wind is finally your friend. The crowd can be an issue here sometimes, but on a Sunday, you might get lucky. This is the one to circle.

After that, Monday the 31st sees a return to cross-shore winds and a choppy surface, and the rest of the first week of September is back to the same old story: strong cross-shore winds, lumpy water, and poor surf. The energy is still there, with some big numbers like 1686 on the 4th of September, but the wind is relentless. The period from the 31st of August right through to the 7th of September is a long gap of nothing worth your time. The swell is there, but it’s just not surfable.

So, to wrap it up: this is a frustrating outlook. The only session that has a real chance of being good is Sunday the 30th of August. If you’re keen, that’s your window. The rest of the time, you’re better off on the land or waiting for a change in the charts. The water is warm, but the wind is the enemy.

Rusty.

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