Sandwood Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at the next few weeks at Sandwood Bay.

Honestly, it’s a bit of a rough start. We’ve got a whole lot of wind and messy conditions to wade through before we get anything worth paddling out for. The opening days of the forecast are a write-off, with strong cross-shore and onshore winds and very poor surf quality. From Monday the 31st of August right through to the end of the week, it’s all about strong breezes, rain, and lumpy, cross-chop. It’s not what you want to see.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on Wednesday the 2nd of September. The wind swings around to an east-northeasterly, light at just 3 mph, giving us a clean, cross-offshore flow. The swell is a solid 6 ft from the north-northwest, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined wave energy is moderate at 489, and with that clean glassy surface, it’s the best on offer by a long way. This is a proper standout for a Wednesday morning session. The afternoon holds up too, with a 5 ft swell from the north, but the wind picks up so it’s not quite as pristine.

After that, it’s back to the bad stuff. Thursday and Friday are a mess of rain and strong winds, and by the 4th of September, we’ve got a big 12 ft swell from the west rolling in, but it’s all onshore and messy. That’s a real beast of a wave, but for experts only, and even then the conditions are poor. The combined energy hits 3490, which is strong, but it’s not surfable.

The weekend of the 5th and 6th stays lumpy and cross-on, with only a brief, clean window on Sunday the 6th morning. That 3 ft swell from the west is small, but at least the wind is light and cross-offshore. The combined energy is weak at 159, so it’s a last resort.

The following week is a mixed bag. Monday the 7th is blown out by near-gale winds, and Tuesday the 8th is a bit cleaner but not great. The real second chance comes on Wednesday the 9th of September. We’ve got a 7 ft swell from the west-northwest, with a period of 9 seconds and a combined energy of 787. The wind is light from the west-southwest, but it’s a cross-shore, so the surface will have a slight chop. It’s a marginal call, but it’s the cleanest we’ll see for a few days. The swell is getting up there, so it’s for the more experienced crew.

The next several days then drop off badly. From Thursday the 10th through to the 15th, the swell is small, mostly under 3 ft, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-on. The combined energy is weak, often under 300. There’s a small window on Monday the 14th of September morning, with a 2 ft northerly swell and a light breeze, but it’s very ordinary. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing to write home about.

So, the standout is hands down Wednesday the 2nd of September morning. Clean, glassy, 6 ft of north-northwest swell – that’s the one to aim for. The second-best option is Wednesday the 9th of September morning, if you can handle a bit of chop and a solid 7 ft swell. After that, it’s a long wait for anything decent.

Remember, it’s a beach and reef setup here, so when the swell gets long period, like the 12-second groundswell on the 4th, it can get a bit too straight and tricky. For now, get that Wednesday in the diary.

Rusty, signing off.

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