Salamumu Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Rusty here.

Right now, it’s pretty grim out there. The surf’s pushing 6 feet at Salamumu, but that ESE wind is howling at 25 mph, ripping straight across the face. It’s messy and choppy, total write-off. And it doesn't get much better for a good stretch.

The wind stays stubborn from the ESE for the next several days, always cross or cross-on, rarely dropping below 15-18 mph. The swell bounces around, but the quality stays poor right through the end of August and into the first few days of September. There’s a window around the 3rd of September where we start seeing some bigger SW groundswell push through, with the combined wave energy climbing into the four-digit zone, but that wind is still a problem with a fresh cross-shore chop. It’s only a marginal call at best.

The 4th of September morning is when things start to look interesting on paper. You’ve got a solid 6 feet from the S, period hitting 16 seconds, and the energy is strong. The wind is still cross from the E at 18 mph though, so it’s going to be lumpy. That’s the real story here – we keep getting teased with decent swell size and long-period groundswell, but the wind just won’t cooperate and clean it up.

The 5th of September is the closest we get to a proper session for a while. Morning sees 5 feet from the S with a 13-second period, but the wind drops to a moderate 15 mph cross-shore. It’s still a cross-chop, but it’s the least nasty it’s been. The energy is still solid. It’s the surfable pick of the first week, but that’s faint praise.

After the 5th, it starts to deteriorate again. The wind picks back up, the swell mixes up with shorter period SW energy, and we’re back to poor conditions. There’s a gap of a few days where nothing is worth paddling out for.

Then we hit the second week. The 11th of September morning is a bit of a tease – offshore wind from the SSE at only 12 mph, a long 19-second SW groundswell at 4 feet, and big energy. That’s clean on paper, but it’s marginal, maybe a tide issue. By the afternoon, that same swell jumps to 6 feet, but the wind swings cross-on again and ruins it. The 12th of September pushes 7 feet from the SW with a 16-second period and strong energy, but again, cross-on wind at 18 mph. That size is getting into serious territory anyway, and with that wind, it's a messy, blown-out wall for experts only.

The main takeaway? There’s no clear standout. If I had to pick the least worst time, the 5th of September at Salamumu is your best bet for a manageable, semi-clean wave. The swell is 5 feet from the S, long enough period, and the wind is moderate. It’s not perfect, but it’s the only day where the stars almost align. For the rest of the run up to the 12th, keep your expectations low.

Stay patient, check the forecasts, this stretch looks more like a waiting game than a go-time.

- Rusty

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