Sandy Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s take a look at what we’ve got on the cards for Sandy Beach over this 16-day stretch.

Honestly, it’s a pretty grim run for most of it. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor conditions with only one real standout day that’s worth getting excited about – and that one’s for experts only.

The water temp is sitting at about 80°, which is pretty much average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

The pattern starts off with a string of weak, short-period, cross-shore junk. From Sunday the 9th right through to Saturday the 15th, it’s all poor surf with fresh breezes from the ENE to NE, creating lumpy, cross-chop conditions. Swell heights bounce between 3 ft and 6 ft, but the periods are short (mostly 6-8 seconds), and the energy is moderate (566 to 871), but it’s just messy. The wave comments say “poor surf conditions” every time – no recommendation there. So that’s a solid week of nothing worth paddling out for.

Then we hit Sunday the 16th of August – that’s the one day that stands out. The morning and afternoon both show a big groundswell from the ENE, 15 ft with a period of 12-13 seconds. The energy is huge (6695 to 6838). Wind is from the N to NNW at 16 mph, which gives us a cross-offshore situation, and the wave comment says “clean.” The score is high, and it says wind and tide are favorable. But, and this is a big but – that swell is predicted to be too big for this break. Sandy Beach is a beach and reef setup, and with 15 ft and a long period, it’s going to be a heavy, dangerous wave. Only experienced surfers should even consider it, and even then, be careful. This is not for beginners. The long period (12-13 sec) means long sets and a lot of water moving around.

After that, the rest of the outlook from Monday the 17th through Monday the 24th goes back to poor conditions. Swells drop back down to 4 ft to 7 ft, with short periods again (6-8 seconds) and moderate energy (142 to 914). Winds are cross to cross-onshore from the ENE and NE, with fresh to strong breezes creating lumpy, choppy waves. No recommendations here at all. By the end of the run, there’s nothing worth writing home about.

So to sum it up: The first week is a washout. The standout is Sunday the 16th – huge, clean, heavy swell – but it’s for experts only, and the size is a real concern. After that, it’s back to the same old story. Not a great run for Sandy Beach, but it happens.

Rusty.

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