Salgema Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you – this 16-day stretch for Salgema is a tough one to call. We’re looking at a whole lot of nothing for a good while, so I’ll break it down day by day.

Looking at the overall picture, the surf quality is just poor for most of the next week or so. We’ve got swell, but it's small, short-period windswell with a cross-onshore breeze messing it all up. It’s gonna be lumpy and uninviting. From around August 21st through the 30th, there’s no recommendation. That's a solid ten-day dry spell. If you're hanging for a wave, you might want to take up fishing.

The first faint glimmer of something different shows up on the morning of Wednesday, August 26th. The swell direction swings around to the south with a long period of 15 seconds, and the combined energy bumps to a strong 609. That’s a serious sign, but it’s not for Salgema’s setup. The direction isn't right for this spot. It's exposed to the south, but the wind is still a cross-onshore breeze from the east, so the surface is going to be bumpy. The wave comment says "marginal", and I’d agree. The morning of the 26th has a 2ft south swell at 15 seconds, but that long period is better suited for a point or reef, not this beach break. We might see a clean-ish set or two, but it’s not going to be a classic.

From there on, things don’t really improve. The south swell stays in the water, with periods up to 16 seconds and energy levels getting strong, especially on the 27th and 28th of August where we see energy at 528 and then 614-652. But the wind stays on the cross-on, and the quality remains poor. Honestly, this looks more like a kite-surfing forecast than a paddle-surfing one, with that consistent cross-onshore wind and lumpy sea state.

Even into the first week of September, the picture stays pretty bleak, with small short-period east-southeast swells and just all-around average to poor conditions. There’s just nothing here that gets the heart racing.

Water temp at the first mention is 80°F, which is right around average for this time of year, so at least the water will be pleasant while you're getting skunked.

So, in short, if you want to surf, wait. This run is likely to not stay this poor forever, and a change is coming, but it’s not in this window. There are no standouts. I’m calling it as I see it – leave the boards in the car and look for something else to do this fortnight.

Rusty, signing off.

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