Sandsend Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this is a tough one. The whole 16-day window for Sandsend Bay is a real struggle. We’ve got hardly any energy, and the wind is never quite right to make the most of what little we have. There’s no standout window, no day to circle in red. The first bit of any real swell size doesn’t show up until July 13th, but even then, the conditions are messy.

The water temp is sitting about 15°, which is pretty normal for this time of year.

Let’s walk through it. On Monday the 6th, we’ve got a tiny 0.7 ft swell from the north with a short 6-second period. The wind is offshore, but there’s just nothing to work with. The energy is weak (4). Tuesday the 7th is worse – 0.3 ft and a long 11-second period, but it’s so small it’s a non-event. Wind is offshore again, which is a tease. Wednesday the 8th morning shows a little bump to 1 ft from the NNE, but the period drops to 7 seconds and the wind is cross-offshore. It’s clean, but the energy is still pitiful (46). Wednesday afternoon sees the wind swing onshore, and it’s game over.

Thursday the 9th morning is glassy calm with 2 ft, but the period is only 7 seconds and the energy is a measly 26. Friday the 10th is similar – glassy again in the morning, 2 ft from the north with a 9-second period. The energy is still weak (39). It’s clean, but it’s just not enough push to get excited about. The weekend (11th and 12th) is a wash with cross-shore and cross-onshore winds and tiny waves.

Now, on Monday July 13th, the swell finally bumps up to 5 ft from the NNE, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 211 – that’s moderate energy. The problem? The wind is a moderate cross-shore (12 mph from the north), creating a cross-chop. It’s messy. For a beach break, that’s not going to be pretty. This size is pushing it for beginners, and the chop makes it a slog for everyone else. Tuesday the 14th morning is cleaner with a cross-offshore wind, but the swell drops to 5 ft (energy 192). It’s the best of a bad bunch, but it’s still not good.

The rest of the fortnight is a repeating pattern of small swell and uncooperative wind. The only other notable bump is on Saturday July 18th, with 4 ft from the NNE (energy 158) and a clean cross-offshore wind in the morning. Again, it’s the best of a bad lot, but the period is only 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit fat and weak.

Honestly, my advice? If you’re desperate for a paddle, the mornings of the 14th or the 18th are your only real shots, and even then, keep your expectations on the floor. For the rest of it, the setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, with that consistent cross-shore wind and small, choppy waves. It’s a blank run, and for this area, that’s not uncommon.

Rusty.

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