Sandtracks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what Sandtracks has on offer over the next couple of weeks in feet and miles per hour.

Right off the bat, I gotta be honest with you—this isn’t looking like a classic run. We’ve got a long, drawn-out stretch of iffy conditions and barely-there surf quality, especially for the first week. The water’s sitting at a warm 80°, which is pretty much spot-on average for this time of year, so at least the swim won’t be a shock.

The action, or lack of it, starts on Saturday 25 July. The morning’s got a 3 ft swell out of the SSW, but the problem is a stiff cross-shore wind at 19 mph, making everything lumpy and choppy. Combined wave energy is sitting at 1093, which is moderate, but the wind’s killing it. That afternoon it gets slightly bigger to 3 ft, but the wind picks up to 22 mph, and it’s a write-off.

Sunday 26 July is more of the same—3 ft SSW swell in the morning, still that cross-shore wind, still messy. Afternoon drops to 3 ft. Nothing to get excited about.

Monday 27 July sees a shift: the swell switches to the east, 4 ft, with a period around 14 seconds. That’s a decent groundswell, but the wind stays cross-shore in the morning. By the afternoon, it goes cross-offshore, and we finally see the word “clean” pop up. That’s the first real glimmer. The combined energy is 961, moderate, but the clean lines are a plus. Still, it’s only a marginal call—not a standout.

Now, Tuesday 28 July is where it gets interesting. Morning brings 6 ft east swell, period 13 seconds, clean with a cross-offshore breeze at 12 mph. Combined energy jumps to 1297. That’s the best looking window so far. Afternoon pushes 7 ft, energy at 1572, still clean. But here’s the thing—that 7 ft is getting up there, and with a period of 12 seconds, it’s going to have some punch. This is for confident intermediates and above. For the average surfer, Tuesday morning is the pick of this whole period: nice size, good direction, and clean.

Wednesday 29 July drops off. The swell is 6 ft but the wind goes cross-on and then onshore in the afternoon with a risk of thunderstorms. Not your session.

From Thursday 30 July right the way through to Sunday 2 August, it’s a grim run. Swell sizes bounce from 3 ft to 8 ft, but the wind is a relentless cross-shore, often fresh to strong breeze. Wave periods drop to 8 seconds—short period windswell—and everything is described as “poor surf conditions” with lumpy chop. The combined energy values during this period are moderate to strong, but with that wind and short period, it’s a mess. Honestly, for that stretch, it looks more like a kitesurfing setup than a paddle-surfing one.

We then hit a gap from about Monday 3 August through to the end of the forecast on Sunday 9 August. There are small swells, some long period, but the wind is still cross or cross-on, and the scores are all marginal or poor. A couple of mornings on 3 August have 3 ft swell at 14 seconds, but with a cross-shore breeze, it’s just not worth the paddle. The combined energy drops well below 600—weak to moderate. The final afternoon on Sunday 9 August shows a tiny 2 ft SSW swell, but it’s glassy. That’s rare, but the swell is just too small to do anything with.

So, the standout? It’s got to be Tuesday morning 28 July at Sandtracks. That east swell at 6 ft, 13-second period, clean cross-offshore wind, and moderate energy (1297) is the best we’re going to get. It’s not a classic, but it’s the one window where you’ll find some fun, clean waves. After that, it’s a long wait and a lot of wind.

If you’re a confident surfer, Tuesday afternoon’s 7 ft might be worth a look, but it’s bigger and punchier. Otherwise, keep your board in the car and wait for the next forecast window.

Rusty.

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