Sandy Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s dig into this forecast for Sandy Beach. We’ve got a pretty long stretch of time ahead, but honestly, it’s a story of persistence over quality. The first few days are a write-off, but there’s a small window of hope if you’re patient.

Right off the bat, the water temp at Sandy Beach is sitting at 80°, which is pretty much bang on for this time of year – nothing unusual there.

The opening days from Wednesday the 22nd right through the weekend are just not worthwhile. We’re looking at a small 2ft to 2ft swell from the SSW with a moderate combined wave energy (872 to 1004), but the wind is a fresh onshore breeze from the ENE, blowing straight across or onshore, and it’s got the ocean all lumpy and crossed up. The wave comment says it all: poor surf conditions. There’s nothing to get excited about here.

Come Friday the 24th, the swell actually bumps up to a solid 7ft to 7ft from the ENE, but it’s short-period wind swell, only 7 seconds. The energy is strong (1091 to 1067), but that wind is still a fresh to strong cross-shore from the ENE, making for a messy, lumpy sea. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle-surfing one. This continues through Saturday the 25th, with a mix of that short-period ENE swell and a long-period 18 second SSW groundswell on Saturday afternoon, but the wind stays cross and messy.

Sunday the 26th sees a slight improvement in the wave comment to “marginal,” with a 3ft to 4ft swell and a long period of 15 to 16 seconds. The energy is high (1236 to 1321), but the wind is still a fresh cross-shore, so you’re dealing with a lumpy cross-chop. It’s not good, just a little less bad.

The best on offer looks like it’ll be around Wednesday the 29th of July. On Wednesday afternoon, we get a 7ft swell from the ENE with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is strong (1492), and the wind finally shifts to a moderate cross-offshore breeze from the NNE. The wave comment even says “clean.” For Sandy Beach, that’s the standout window. The water will be clean, the swell is a decent size, but keep in mind that 7ft is getting into expert territory for a beach break, especially with that moderate wind. The break is exposed to the ESE swell and the direction is ENE, so it’s not a perfect match, but it’s the best we’ve got.

After that, it drops back into poor or marginal conditions. Thursday the 30th has a light S wind, but it’s cross-on, and the swell drops to 5ft to 6ft. The rest of the run into the first week of August is dominated by a fresh cross-shore wind from the ENE, with swells ranging from 3ft to 7ft, but the period is short (7 to 8 seconds) and the conditions are lumpy and choppy. The energy drops off significantly (down to 314 to 461 range) by the 31st.

There’s a late hint of something on Wednesday the 5th of August, with a 8ft swell from the ENE and a 13-second period, giving a very strong energy of 2167. But the wind is still a fresh cross-shore, and it’s rated as marginal. It’s a long way out, so keep an eye on it, but don’t bank on it.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a total bust. The best chance for a clean, decent-sized wave is Wednesday the 29th of July. After that, it’s mostly a choppy, cross-shore mess. Sandy Beach can be fairly consistent, but this run is a test of patience. The forecasts can always change, but for now, that Wednesday afternoon is your only real shot.

Rusty.

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