Sandtracks Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got to level with you—this 16-day window for Sandtracks is a tough one. The forecast is just not playing ball for quality surf. There’s a big gap at the start, with nothing really surfable until the very end of the month, and even then it’s a mixed bag. Let’s walk through it.

We’re looking at Sandtracks (reef) for the whole run. The water temp is sitting around 80°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Thursday the 16th kicks off with a tiny 2 ft SSW swell at 13 seconds, but the wind is cross and it’s messy. The combined energy is weak (183), and it’s just poor conditions—nothing to even paddle for. This carries straight through the rest of the week and into the next. Friday the 17th sees a bit more energy (390) but the swell is still small and the wind is cross, making for lumpy, choppy surf. Saturday and Sunday the 18th and 19th are more of the same: cross winds, moderate to fresh breeze, and the swell direction switches to a short-period E at 8 seconds on Sunday—just not good shape.

Monday the 20th shows a glimmer with a 3 ft S swell at 16 seconds, and the energy picks up to 608, but it’s still marginal at best with cross winds. It’s labelled “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” so don’t get your hopes up. Tuesday the 21st is similar, with a 3 ft S swell at 14 seconds and moderate energy (565), but again, cross winds ruin it.

The middle of the week stays frustrating. Wednesday the 22nd has a weird mix—a 2 ft SSW swell with a massive 23-second period, but the energy is through the roof (1122), yet the wind is still cross and conditions are poor. That’s the thing with these long-period groundswells at a reef break like Sandtracks—they can be straight and tricky. Thursday the 23rd and Friday the 24th are bumpy, with fresh cross winds and lumpy chop. The energy is high (1247 and 1252), but the wind just won’t cooperate.

The standout window starts to shape up around the 26th of July. Sunday the 26th afternoon finally shows a “cross-off” wind for the first time—clean conditions! The swell is 4 ft from the E at 17 seconds, with very strong energy (1871). It’s still only marginal, but it’s the best we’ve seen all outlook. If you’re keen, that’s the one to target. Monday the 27th is similar but the wind goes back to cross, so it’s not as clean.

Then Tuesday the 28th morning is a real highlight. We’ve got an 8 ft ENE swell at 14 seconds, with light cross winds at just 6 mph. The energy is massive (2541), and it’s the highest-rated window in the whole forecast. The afternoon bumps up to 10 ft ENE swell with even stronger energy (5868), but the wind shifts to cross-on, so it’s a bit less clean. Still, for experts, that morning session on the 28th is the pick of the bunch—big, powerful, and reasonably clean. Wednesday the 29th is a step down at 8 ft ENE with light cross-on wind, but it’s still surfable.

After that, the swell drops off fast. Thursday the 30th and Friday the 31st are back to small, short-period slop with fresh cross winds. The last day, July 31st, has 4 ft to 4 ft ENE swell at 8 seconds, but it’s lumpy and not worth the effort.

So, what’s the verdict? The first two weeks are a write-off—cross winds and poor conditions dominate. The best on offer is definitely Tuesday the 28th of July, with that 8 ft ENE swell and light winds in the morning. For a close second, the afternoon of Sunday the 26th gives you a clean(ish) window with solid energy. Everything else is a struggle. Keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

Read more