Sandy Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this is a tough stretch of water for anyone wanting a proper surf. The whole 16-day window is basically a write-off for decent waves at Sandy Beach. We’re looking at a long, frustrating run of poor surf conditions, with only a couple of fleeting moments that might get you excited for a paddle, but even those are marginal at best.

The first real period starts on Sunday the 16th. There’s some swell in the water – around 8ft from the ENE with a 9-second period – but the wind is on it from the ESE at 16 mph, and there’s a risk of thunderstorms. It’s messy, choppy, and just not inviting. The energy is moderate, but it’s all over the place. The following Monday and Tuesday, the swell drops right off to under 3ft, and we’re left with a cross-shore breeze making it lumpy. The water temp is 81° with a normal anomaly, so nothing weird there, but you won’t be in the water long enough to care.

We then go into a proper lull. From the 18th through to the 24th, we’re seeing tiny, weak swells – most under 3ft – with short periods and cross-shore winds. The energy is weak to moderate, but it’s not doing anything for us. It’s poor surf conditions day after day. There’s a brief pulse on the 24th, but it’s still only 4ft with a 6-second period and a fresh cross-shore wind – that’s just junky. This is a blank run, and for Sandy Beach, that’s more normal than not.

The end of the window, around the 25th and 26th, sees the swell pick up to 6ft to 7ft from the ENE with a short 7-second period. The energy is strong, but the wind is cranking at 25 mph, creating a strong cross-shore mess. This isn’t surf for anyone; it’s more like a washing machine. The setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing – you’d be fighting a losing battle out there.

The only tiny glimmer is on Sunday the 30th. The swell is 4ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon, from the east with a 14-second period. That’s a proper groundswell, and the energy is moderate. The wind is lighter in the morning, a gentle 9 mph cross-onshore, but it’s still marked as marginal or questionable tide conditions. It’s promising but not a sure thing, and it’s 12 days out, so I’d take that with a grain of salt. The longer period should help shape it up at this beach-and-reef setup, but the cross-onshore wind will still put a bit of chop on it. It’s the best of a bad bunch, but I wouldn't plan a trip around it.

Right, that’s the grim reality. The surf is poor, the wind is wrong, and the swell is just not cooperating. Keep your board in the car for a sunny day, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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