Sandtracks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Sandtracks over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it's a tough watch. The first week and a half is pretty much a write-off. We're looking at a long stretch of poor surf conditions from the 7th right through to the 19th of August. The wind is locked in from the ENE, blowing cross-shore, and it's got some serious grunt to it, 12 mph to 25 mph, just chopping everything up. The swell is a mixed bag of small weak stuff and then some bigger, lumpy, short-period windswell, but none of it is clean enough to paddle out with a smile. The wave energy gauge is showing moderate to strong numbers, but with the wind and cross-chop, it's just not surfable. If you're into kiting, this might be your window, but for a paddle surfer, it's a no-go.

There will be a bit of a flicker of hope on the 20th of August. The morning is still marginal, but then Thursday afternoon rolls in and things get interesting. The wind drops to a glassy 3 mph from the north, and we get a 2 ft swell from the SW with a very long period of 21 seconds. The wave energy is moderate, but more importantly, the conditions are described as glassy. That's a window for a sneaky session on a log or a longboard.

Then the 21st of August, Friday, is looking like the best of the bunch. The morning has a light onshore breeze from the SSE, but the afternoon is where it's at. The wind goes glassy again from the SE, and the swell holds at 2 ft from the SW with an 18-second period. The wave comment says "expect very good surf conditions". It's not huge, but it'll be clean and lined up. Sandtracks is a reef break that's fairly consistent, so if you get that glassy window, you'll have some peeling, playful waves. Just keep in mind, it's a spot that's "often" crowded, so you might have some company. For the best chance, aim for the 21st afternoon.

The 22nd of August Saturday morning is back to being marginal with a cross-onshore breeze, so that clean window is pretty tight.

So, to sum it up: the first 12 days are a near-total loss. The standouts are not for size, but for quality. The window of glassy, clean conditions on the afternoon of the 20th and especially the afternoon of the 21st of August are your best bets. It's a short-period swell, but with that glassy surface, it'll be the most fun you'll have in this forecast period.

Rusty.

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