Sandbank Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next 16 days at Sandbank. Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – it’s a tough stretch. The finder is giving me a big fat zero for every single session across the whole period. That’s a blank run, and for this area, it’s not that unusual when the wind and swell don’t line up. The waves are there, but the conditions are just... ugly.

The main problem is the wind. It’s blowing from the east, and it’s cross-on shore all day, every day, for the entire forecast. From Wednesday morning, August 5th, it’s a moderate breeze at 16 mph, and it only gets stronger from there, with fresh breezes kicking in regularly. That means choppy, lumpy, and just plain messy surf. The swell is coming from the northeast and east-northeast, and the period is short – between 6 and 8 seconds. That’s windswell, not groundswell, so it’s weak and lacks any real punch. The combined energy is only in the low hundreds for most of the first week, which is weak (98 to 239). The water temp is a warm 83°F, which is about average for this time of year, so at least you won’t be cold while you’re getting frustrated.

The biggest swell shows up in the second week. On Saturday, August 15th, the swell hits 10 ft from the east-northeast, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is massive – 1543 – so there’s power. But the wind is still a fresh cross-onshore at 22 mph, and the surf is still rated as poor. At that size, with that wind, it’s going to be a washing machine. This is really only for experts, and even then, it’s going to be a battle. The period is still short, so the waves will be steep and crumbly, not the kind of clean, lined-up groundswell you want for a point break or reef. For a beach break like Sandbank, it’s just going to close out and be a mess.

Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. There’s plenty of wind, and the swell will be there, but for a surfer on a foamie or a shortboard, there’s nothing to get excited about. The good news is that it tends not to stay this poor for long, and forecasts can change. But for now, my advice is to leave the boards in the car and find something else to do.

Rusty.

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