Salamumu Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, grab a coffee, let’s talk about Salamumu. This is a reef setup that’s consistent and exposed, but the whole 16-day window is a wild ride of strong onshore winds. The water is sitting right around average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

The first sniff of surf comes in on Thursday the 3rd, but honestly, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a solid 3ft to 4ft SW groundswell, with a very long period of 16 seconds, and the combined energy is in the moderate zone (784 to 935). But the wind is a screaming 25 mph from the ESE, cross-on and cross, making it messy and lumpy. It’s not surfable; it’s just a washing machine.

Friday the 4th to Saturday the 5th sees the swell build. Friday morning has 4ft at 17 seconds from the S, with moderate energy (1648), but that fresh 22 mph cross-on wind ruins it. By Saturday morning, the swell is up to 6ft from the S at 16 seconds, with strong energy (2409), but we’ve still got a moderate 16 mph cross wind. It’s marginal at best, but with that cross-chop, it’s a real struggle.

Sunday the 6th through to Thursday the 11th is a grim stretch. The swell drops to 3ft to 5ft, periods are all over the place, and the wind stays fresh and cross-on from the ESE or SE. Every single session is rated poor. The combined energy is moderate (413 to 1248), but it doesn’t matter because the conditions are just lumpy, choppy, and cross-onshore. There’s no clean face to be had.

Then we get into the second week. From Friday the 12th to Monday the 14th, the swell gets a bit more interesting. On the 13th, we see a very long period SW groundswell of 20 to 22 seconds, with energy jumping to strong (2352) on Sunday afternoon. Monday the 14th has the biggest swell of the window, hitting 7ft from the SW at 18 seconds, with very strong energy (2722). But here’s the kicker: every single day has fresh to moderate cross-on winds, and by Monday there’s a risk of thunderstorms. The combination of strong wind and big swell means this reef is going to be a messy, blown-out mess. For a consistent reef like this, it’s heartbreaking.

The best on offer, if you can call it that, is Tuesday the 15th. The swell drops to 5ft from the SW at 16 seconds, with strong energy (1621), and the wind finally eases to a moderate 16 mph breeze. It’s still cross-on, so it’s choppy, but it’s the least ugly day of the whole period. It’s a salvage mission, not a stand-out.

The final days, from Wednesday the 16th to Friday the 18th, are more of the same. Swell holds around 4ft to 5ft, periods drop, and the wind stays fresh cross-on. The energy is moderate to strong (840 to 2044), but the conditions never clean up. There isn’t a single session that breaks through.

Honestly, this is a tough run. For a reef that’s consistent and exposed, the lack of any offshore or glassy wind is a major letdown. The big groundswells from the 13th and 14th are only for experts, and even then, the wind will make it a battle. If you’re a kite surfer, this setup with the strong cross-onshore winds will look a lot more fun than paddling out. For the rest of us, save your energy.

Rusty.

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