Sandtracks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, listen up. Rusty here. It's been a tough stretch for Sandtracks, and honestly, for the next couple of weeks, it's looking pretty bleak. The whole 16-day window is a struggle. I'm looking at the whole forecast and, to be straight with you, there are no standout days. Nothing that gets me excited. The wind is stuck cross-shore from the ENE day after day, churning the ocean up into a lumpy cross-chop mess. It’s mostly poor surf conditions, with wave energy that’s moderate at best. For instance, the first few days of the outlook show combined energy around 600 (moderate), but it’s just not clean enough to surf.

Right from Sunday morning, the 23rd of August, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a 2 ft SW swell, but it’s crossed up by a 30 km/h fresh breeze from the ENE. The water is a warm 81°, which is about average for this time of year, but there’s no point in getting wet. The afternoon isn't any better, with a short-period 5 ft E swell and 40 km/h wind. That trend just keeps on rolling through the week. The crowd situation at Sandtracks is listed as “often,” but with these conditions, you’ll have the place to yourself for all the wrong reasons.

There’s not even a glimmer of hope until the very end of the period. As we get into the second week, around Sunday afternoon, the 30th of August, the wind swings to a cross-offshore direction from the NE at 30 km/h, giving us a brief moment of clean conditions. We get a 2 ft SSW groundswell with a long 16-second period. But the forecast score is still only a 1 out of 10, calling it marginal. That is the only period in the whole two weeks where the word “clean” appears.

Then on Tuesday, the 1st of September, the conditions improve just a touch. The morning sees a 3 ft SSW swell with a very long 18-second period and moderate energy (1070). The wind is down to a moderate 20 km/h, but it’s still a cross-shore with a cross-chop. It’s rated as marginal, not worth paddling out for.

There’s one last flicker of a chance on Sunday afternoon, the 6th of September. The swell is 6 ft from the ENE with an 11-second period, but the key is the wind drops to a light 10 km/h from the ENE. It’s still a cross-shore, but it’s only a light breeze with small ripples. That gives it a score of 3, the best of the whole outlook. Finally, on the very last day, Monday afternoon, the 7th of September, we get actual offshore wind from the SSE at just 5 km/h. The swell is a 3 ft SSW groundswell with a 15-second period. It’s still classed as marginal, but that offshore wind would make it the cleanest the reef will look in this whole window.

But look, there’s no way around it. There's no good surf on offer in this 16-day window. Sometimes a place just goes quiet, and this is one of those times. Remember, forecasts can change, so don’t lose hope entirely, but right now, you’re better off waxing your board and waiting.

Rusty.

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