Sandtracks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mates, Rusty here checking in on the surf for Sandtracks over the next couple of weeks.

It’s looking like a bit of a grind, to be honest. The wind is stuck coming from the east-northeast, blowing a cross-shore at a solid 18 to 25 mph, which is just chopping up the surface and making it messy. Water temp is 80°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no worries there.

The swell energy is there, with moderate combined energy readings (941), but the quality is poor. Wednesday afternoon has a 2ft SSW swell with a very long period of 23 seconds, but the wind is just too strong and cross-shore to make anything of it. The next few days are more of the same – Thursday and Friday morning are both a write-off, and the weekend isn’t shaping up much better. That 7ft E swell on Friday morning has a short period of 7 seconds and a fresh cross-shore wind, so it’s not going to offer much.

We do hit a bit of a lull, but things start to look a little more promising heading into the end of the month. Wednesday the 29th is the only real standout in the whole run. The afternoon sees a 5ft ENE swell with a moderate combined energy of 973, and the wind finally swings around to the northeast, becoming a cross-offshore breeze. The forecast says “clean” for the wave state, which is the best we’re going to see. This is a reef break, and with a period of 11 seconds, it should have a bit of punch. The swell is 5ft, which is a solid size for an intermediate surfer, but beginners might find it a bit much. The optimum swell direction is listed as SSE, so the ENE swell is a little off-angle, but with clean conditions, this is by far the best window.

After that, the wind goes back onshore and the swell drops off, leaving us with more poor surf conditions. There’s a final spike on the 5th of August, with a 6ft ENE swell and a big combined energy reading of 1442, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore again, making it lumpy. That one is only for the experts if they’re keen, but it won’t be pretty.

There’s a big gap of no good surf from the 30th of July right through to the 5th of August, which is a solid week of poor conditions. The crowd factor at Sandtracks is listed as “often,” so expect company on that one good day.

So, if you’re picking your moment, Wednesday the 29th of July in the afternoon is your window. The rest of the time, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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