Sandtracks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, ol’ mate Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this stretch we’re lookin’ at is a proper struggle. That persistent cross-shore wind from the ENE is just about ruining everything at Sandtracks for the first week and a half. It’s a real shame, because there’s decent energy in the water, that moderate combined swell energy (around 550 to 669), but it’s all wasted on lumpy, choppy conditions. The water temp’s sittin’ at a warm 81°, with a anomaly of just 0.5°, so pretty average for the time of year – not that it helps much when the wind’s howlin’.

From Saturday the 22nd of August all the way through to Monday the 1st of September, it’s just a write-off. We’ve got swell – a mix of small 2ft southerly groundswell with that long 14 to 18 second period, and then some junkier 5ft east windswell – but the wind is stuck on cross with speeds of 18 to 25 mph. That fresh to strong breeze just tears the ocean apart. There’s no point paddlin’ out for that mess.

The only tiny glimmer in this whole outlook comes on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The morning is still just light cross-shore with a bit of ripple, barely a 2 out of 10. But the afternoon? That’s the one to watch. The wind swings to a light NE cross-offshore breeze, just a gentle breeze at 9 mph, and the wave face cleans right up. You’ve got a 3ft SSW groundswell rolling in with a solid 16 second period – nice and long, so those reef lines at Sandtracks should start holding a shape. The combined wave energy sits at a moderate 775. It’s not a huge day, but after two weeks of chop, that clean glassy surface is gonna feel like heaven. This is the standalone best of the forecast.

After that, it gets messy again. Thursday the 3rd of September brings onshore winds and a risk of thunderstorms, and then we’re back into the cross-shore grind with fresh ENE winds Friday through Saturday the 5th of September. There’s some clean cross-offshore wind on Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th, but the swell is only 2ft to 3ft, and the wind is cranked up to 34 and 40 mph – gale force. At that point, the ocean’s too worked up for a decent paddle surf.

So, look – you’ve got a long dry spell. Almost ten days of junk. The only real standout is that Wednesday afternoon, the 2nd of September, when it all comes together just for a moment. Get out there if you can, but don’t expect much else.

Rusty.

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