Salamumu Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s on the menu for Salamumu over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I’ll be straight with you: the 16-day window opens with a real tease, but it’s not a total washout. We’ve got a couple of windows of clean surf early on, but then a long, nasty stretch of strong winds and messy conditions moves in that’s going to test your patience. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The stand-out session is Monday afternoon, August 3rd. We’ve got a 3ft swell rolling in from the SW, with a solid 14-second period, giving it some real grunt. The combined energy is a solid 718 (moderate wave energy), and more importantly, the wind is blowing offshore from the NNE at 9 mph. That’s going to put a glassy top on the reef at Salamumu. It’s a consistent, advanced break, so it’s for the crew who know their way around a reef. You might run into a few others out there, but for that quality, it’s worth it.

Monday morning on the 3rd is a smaller, scrappier option. The swell is 3ft from the SW, with a 15-second period, so the energy is there (621 combined), but the wind is a cross-offshore from the NE at 12 mph. It’s clean, but a bit more wind-affected and the tide might be a factor. It’s a 2 out of 10 kind of session, but if you’re itching for a paddle, it’s the only other half-decent look.

After that, the wheels fall off. From Tuesday, August 4th, right through to the end of the forecast, the wind swings onshore or cross-shore and howls. From the 5th onward, we’re looking at strong breezes, messy chop, and blown-out conditions. The swell actually gets bigger—there’s a 10ft swell from the SSE on Saturday, August 8th, with a massive 3180 combined energy, and a 10ft swell from the SSE on the 10th with 3860 combined energy—but the wind is a brutal 28-31 mph cross-onshore. That’s not surfable for a paddle board; that’s kite territory, plain and simple. The period is long (14-16 seconds), but on a reef with that kind of cross-wind, it’s just a washing machine.

There’s a brief flicker of hope on Friday, August 14th, where the wind goes cross-offshore from the ENE. But the swell has dropped to a tiny 2-2ft from the SE, with weak energy (263-378 combined). It’s clean, but you’ll be fighting for scraps. After that, it’s back to lumpy cross-shore chop for the rest of the run.

To sum it up: your best bet is the Monday afternoon, August 3rd session. After that, you’re looking at a solid week and a half of nothing but strong wind and messy surf. The forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a case of get it while you can on that first day.

Rusty.

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