Sandy Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is a bit of a tough one for the Sandy Beach crew. The whole 16-day window is looking pretty blown out, to be honest.

Right from Tuesday the 18th of August, we’ve got a solid 16 mph cross-shore wind from the NE slapping into a small 3 ft easterly swell. The water is sitting at a normal 80°F for this time of year. It’s just not clean. That same pattern hangs around for days – Wednesday and Thursday morning see a bit of a drop in swell size, but the wind stays on it, keeping the surface messy. The combined energy is weak, sitting around 200-300 (moderate energy) for those early days, but it’s useless with that wind.

Friday the 21st of August offers a little light breeze from the east, but the swell drops to 3 ft and the period is a short 7 seconds, with the energy dipping to just 79 (weak energy). It’s a pass.

Then things get worse. From Saturday the 22nd of August, the wind cranks up to 22 – 25 mph from the ENE and stays there for over a week. The swell builds, sure – by Sunday the 23rd we’re looking at 7 ft of easterly swell with 554 (moderate wave energy), and by Monday the 24th it’s 7 ft with 760 (strong wave energy). But it’s all cross-shore and lumpy. That’s a kite-surfing setup, not a paddle-surfing one. The swell keeps climbing into the next week, hitting 8 ft on Thursday the 27th of August with a massive 1152 (strong wave energy), but the wind is still howling from the ENE at 22 mph. It’s a washing machine.

There’s a glimmer of hope right at the very end. On Tuesday the 1st of September, the wind finally drops back to 16 mph, and the swell is 5 ft from the east with a 9-second period. The energy is still high at 665 (moderate energy). But it’s still a cross-shore wind, so it’s only marginal.

The real standout, if you can call it that, is Wednesday the 2nd of September. We get a long-period groundswell from the south at 19 seconds, 4 ft, combined with a lighter 9 – 12 mph NE wind. The energy is off the charts at 1601 (very strong wave energy). That long period at a beach and reef set-up like Sandy Beach might make it a bit too straight, but it’s the cleanest the surf will be all window. It’s still only a marginal call, but it’s the best on offer.

So, honestly, for the first 13 days, it’s a write-off for decent paddle surfing. The wind is just relentless. The very end of the window on the 2nd of September is your best bet, but don’t get your hopes too high. It’s a long wait for a maybe.

Rusty.

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