Salamumu Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Salamumu over the next two weeks.

Right off the bat, I ain’t gonna lie to you – this forecast is a frustrating one. The pattern is dominated by a strong, persistent cross-shore and cross-onshore wind, mostly from the ESE, that just won’t let up. The first week is a write-off for clean, quality waves. The swell is actually there, with some serious energy, but the wind is chewing it all up. That first solid window of opportunity doesn’t really show up until Thursday the 10th.

We’ve got a decent, long-period groundswell from the SW pushing through at 4ft with a 15-second period on Thursday morning. The key difference is the wind finally swings around to a light cross-offshore from the ENE at 12 mph, keeping the surface clean. The combined energy is moderate at 608. By the afternoon, it gets even better with a gentle sea breeze from the East at 9 mph, keeping the surface clean. This is the standout session of the whole outlook. For a spot like Salamumu, a reef break that’s consistent and exposed to the SE, this is your best shot. The water temperature isn’t mentioned in the data, so I’d say it’s about average for the time of year.

Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th see the wind turn back onshore and the swell drops right off, so we’re back to poor conditions.

Now, the second week brings a whole lot of swell energy, but it comes with a big caveat. From Sunday the 13th, the combined energy ramps up to huge numbers – 2737 on Sunday morning, 4084 by Sunday afternoon, and holding strong around 4000 Monday and Tuesday. This is strong to very strong wave energy. The swell size grows from 5ft to over 8ft, with a very long period of 20-21 seconds from the SW. This is serious groundswell. But, the wind is a nightmare – strong cross-onshore from the SE, making it lumpy and choppy. At this size and with these winds, Salamumu is going to be a washing machine. Honestly, for a paddle surfer, it’s going to be a battle. The setup looks far more interesting for the kite crew than us.

On Tuesday the 15th, the wind does ease up a bit in the morning to a light breeze from the East, but the swell is still a hefty 7ft from the SSW with a 16-second period. It’s a marginal call, but the score is the highest in the whole run. The energy is still strong at 2574. It’s a big, powerful swell, but if the wind stays light, there might be a window for expert surfers only. Anyone else, stay on the beach.

After that, the wind cranks up again from the 16th through the 19th with near-gale to strong breeze conditions, blowing the whole thing out. The swell drops back down, and the outlook is grim.

So, to wrap it up: the best and really the only proper window for clean surf is Thursday the 10th of September. The morning session with the cross-offshore wind and that long-period 4ft SW swell is the pick of the fortnight. The rest of the time, it’s either blown out, too big and messy, or just flat. Don’t hold your breath for the second week unless you’re an expert chasing a beast in rough conditions, or you’ve got a kite.

Rusty.

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