Sandy Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright team, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this stretch of the forecast is a real heartbreaker for Sandy Beach. We’re looking at a long, long run of poor conditions.

The whole first week is a write-off. From Friday the 14th right through to Wednesday the 20th, the wind is howling out of the ENE and NE, mostly cross-shore or cross-onshore, and it’s cranking at 15 to 35 mph. That’s creating a mess of lumpy, choppy, cross-chop. The swell is there, but it’s junk. On Saturday the 15th we’ve got a meaty 10ft to 12ft of ENE swell, but it’s being shredded by a near-gale wind. Combined wave energy is through the roof (1674 to 2465), but it’s all just blown-out, dangerous whitewater. That’s only for experts, and even then, it’s not fun. Don’t bother.

There’s a brief glimmer of something different around the 20th and 21st, with a long-period SSW groundswell (16 to 18 seconds) showing up, but it’s tiny at 2ft and the wind is still a problem. The energy is low (around 115 to 366), so it’s not doing anything.

We finally get a window of interest on Thursday the 27th of August. Overnight on the 27th and into Friday the 28th, an E swell builds to 5ft with a very long period of 17-18 seconds. That’s a proper groundswell. The combined energy jumps up to 1987, which is solid. The wind drops to a moderate breeze from the ENE and NE, still cross or cross-on, but it’s manageable. The forecast calls it “marginal,” but that’s the best we’ve got. Keep in mind, that long period groundswell (over 15 seconds) can be a bit tricky on a beach break like Sandy – it might break too straight, so you’ll want to pick your peak carefully. The crowds are often here, so expect a few lads chasing the same clean-up sets.

Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th taper off, with the swell dropping to 4ft and the period still long (14-16 seconds), but the wind turns more onshore, ruining the shape. The energy drops from 1500 down to 852.

So, the summary: Look, there’s almost nothing to get excited about for two whole weeks. The water temp is a standard 81°F, so that’s fine. But the wind is relentless. The only real standout is Thursday the 27th of August, with that long-period E groundswell – it’s a distant hope, but it’s the only shot we’ve got.

Stay salty.
Rusty.

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