Salamumu Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a yarn about what’s coming up at Salamumu over the next couple of weeks. To be straight with you, the outlook is a tough one. This is a classic exposed reef break, and we're in for a long patch of messy conditions. The wind is the main enemy here, blowing from the ESE and SE most days, which puts it straight cross or cross-onshore at this spot. That means lumpy, choppy, and generally poor surf quality. The water temp is sitting right on 82°, which is dead average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Looking at the first few days, we kick off Sunday the 19th of July with some clouds and a strong 25 mph ESE wind. That's a strong cross-onshore breeze, and the 4 ft swell from the SSE at a period of 14 seconds doesn't stand a chance. It's a write-off. The combined energy is high at 1296, but it's all wasted energy. Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st aren't much better, with fresh breezes and more lumpy cross-chop. We do see a pulse of long-period groundswell on Tuesday morning, a 4 ft swell from the S with a very long 20-second period, and the energy is right up there at 2382. But with that 22 mph ESE wind, it's just a frustrating sight—you can see the potential, but you can't surf it. That kind of long-period groundswell would be a dream on a point break or a reef that wraps it in, but at Salamumu with this wind, it's just a blown-out mess.

The middle of the week shows some slight improvement, but we're still talking about marginal conditions at best. Wednesday the 22nd of July has the wind dropping to a moderate 12 mph E breeze, still cross-shore, but the swell is small at 3 ft to 3 ft. The energy drops to 1235, which is moderate, but the cross-chop will spoil any chance of a clean wave. Thursday the 23rd is similar with gentle breezes, but the swell bumps up to 5 ft from the S with an 18-second period. The energy is strong at 1842, but the breeze is a gentle cross-onshore, making it "fairly choppy." It's frustrating—there's good swell energy, but the wind angle just isn't working for us at this break.

And then we hit another rough patch from Friday the 24th of July all the way through to Saturday the 2nd of August. The wind keeps coming from the ESE, SE, or SSE, and the surf quality stays "poor" with scores of 0 or 1. The swell sizes bounce around from 2 ft to 5 ft, but the periods are mixed. A few days, like the 28th of July, show a 5 ft SW swell with a 16-second period and reasonable wave energy (1232), but once again, the cross-onshore wind from the SSE just kills it. It's a solid ten-day stretch of "don't bother." This is a long gap, and it’s a tough run for Salamumu.

Now, late in the window, we finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. On Sunday the 2nd of August, the wind eases to a moderate 9-12 mph E breeze. The swell is tiny, only 2 ft to 3 ft, and the energy is weak (268-289), but it's the best the winds have looked in ages. It's still a cross-shore, but a gentle one, with just a slight cross-chop. For a surfer who's been watching the ocean blow out for two weeks, that's a session worth checking. You won't find any size, but at least it'll be rideable. The standout, if you can call it that, is Monday the 3rd of August morning. We get a tiny 2 ft swell from the SW with a 13-second period and a cross-onshore breeze, so not great. But the afternoon shows a 4 ft swell from the E with a short 8-second period and moderate wave energy at 387. The period is short and the wind is still cross-onshore, so it's not going to be anything special, but after so many days of nothing, it’s the only time the window opens even a crack.

Overall, I wouldn’t be rushing down to Salamumu for the next two weeks. It’s a classic example of an exposed reef that just gets hammered by the prevailing wind. The swell energy is often there, but the quality is just not. Keep an eye on the charts, because it can't stay this bad forever.

Rusty.

Read more