Sandy Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer at Sandy Beach over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – there’s a bit of a lull before we see anything worth paddling out for. The first few days are a write-off for quality surfing. Tuesday morning the 28th has some size, around 7 ft from the east, but that 30 km/h NNE wind is cross-off and just makes it a messy, marginal affair. The water is sitting at 27°, which is pretty much average for this time of year, so nothing weird there.

The best window we’ve got in the whole 16-day run is Wednesday the 29th. It’s not a massive swell, but the conditions align nicely. Wednesday morning sees 6 ft from the ENE, dropping to 6 ft by the afternoon. The wind drops right back to a light 10 km/h from the north, shifting slightly north-northeast, keeping it cross-off. This is the cleanest it’s going to get. The swell period is around 10 seconds dropping to 9 seconds, which is a decent mix of energy and shape – not a super long groundswell, but it’ll give you some punchy walls. The combined energy is moderate (892 in the morning, 729 in the afternoon). For an intermediate spot like Sandy Beach, this is the sweet spot. It’s clean, there’s some push, and it’s not too big. Crowds are often a factor here, so get there early if you can.

After that, it’s a long, grim stretch. From Thursday the 30th all the way through to the end of the first week of August, the wind turns onshore from the ENE, blowing 25 to 45 km/h. The swell stays around 5 ft to 10 ft, but with that strong breeze, it’s just a lumpy, messy cross-shore chop. The combined energy spikes up to 1420 on Saturday the 1st of August, but with 45 km/h wind, it’s not a paddle wave – more of a kite-surfing scene if you’re into that. The period drops to 8 seconds or less, making it choppy and weak. Honestly, it’s a hard pass for the surfer.

We do see a slight shift around the 9th of August. The swell direction swings to the SSW, and the period jumps to 18 seconds – that’s a proper long-period groundswell. But the height is small, only 3 ft to 4 ft, and the wind is still a moderate to fresh cross-shore from the ENE. The combined energy is moderate (700-900 range), but with those conditions, it’s marginal at best. The long period will make it peel a bit more at a point or reef, but Sandy Beach is a beach-and-reef setup, and with that cross-shore wind, it’s not going to be clean. These are just “questionable tide” days.

So, to wrap it up: Wednesday the 29th is your one true standout. It’s not a massive swell, but the light wind and clean conditions make it the best on offer. The rest of the 16-day window is a long, windy mess. Get out there on Wednesday if you can, because after that, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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