Salamumu Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright surfers, Rusty here, and we're lookin' at a pretty grim outlook for the 16-day window. I gotta be straight with you – the surf is on offer, but the conditions are just plain ugly for a paddle. You'll be fighting the elements more than riding waves.

Let's start with what's on the menu. We've got a consistent push of swell hitting the reef at Salamumu (Samoa) throughout the whole period, with combined wave energy mostly in the moderate to strong range (466 to 2651). The water temp is sitting at 81°F which is about average for this time of year. That's the only nice bit.

The problem is the wind. From the very first session on Saturday morning, 1st August, we're looking at a fresh 19 mph cross-shore wind creating lumpy cross-chop. That sets the tone. For the first week, the wind is relentless out of the ESE and SE, blowing at 19 to 31 mph, most often cross-onshore. This ain't for surfing; it's blown-out, messy junk.

The swell itself isn't bad on paper – mostly around 3 ft to 7 ft from the S and SSE with periods of 10 to 17 seconds, but it doesn't matter when the wind and chop are this bad. The best you could say is the odd morning on Sunday 2nd August had a gentle 9 mph cross-shore breeze, but the surf was still showing as marginal. The biggest energy spike hits around the 7th and 8th of August with near gale-force winds and swell up to 7 ft – that's for experts only, and even then, it's a kite-surfing dream and a surfer's nightmare.

After the first week, things calm down a tiny bit but not enough to get excited about. From the 10th of August onwards, the wind drops back to a fresh 16-22 mph, mostly cross-shore, but the surf is still consistently marked as poor or marginal and mixed with lumpy cross-chop.

The only true standout window I can point to is the very end of the run, on Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th. The wind finally eases to a moderate 16-19 mph cross-shore breeze. On Saturday afternoon, we have a clean 7 ft SSE swell at 11 seconds, and on Sunday afternoon, a similar 7 ft SSE swell at 12 seconds with the wind dropping a bit more. The combined energy is still strong (1272 to 1595), and the conditions finally shift to a "moderate cross-shore with a cross-chop". It's still not perfect, but it's the best of a bad bunch. It’s over 7 ft, so it's for the experienced crew only. Remember, it's a consistent reef break, so it'll hold the swell, but keep an eye on those winds.

Honestly, for the majority of this forecast, it looks way more suited to kiting than paddling. But those last few days on the 15th and 16th might just give us a few clean-ish ones if the wind behaves. Keep your fingers crossed and your boards dry 'til then.

Rusty.

Read more