Sandy Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the outlook for Sandy Beach.

To be straight with you, this is a tough stretch. The whole 16-day window is a battle against the wind. We’ve got a persistent ENE breeze that keeps swinging cross-shore, and it’s rarely light. That means for almost every session, the surface is gonna be messy with a cross-chop. The wave energy is there at times, but the quality is just not cooperating.

The first real swell of note shows up around the 8th of August with a 6ft ENE swell, but the period is a short, weak 6 seconds. The wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-shore, so it’s a messy, lumpy affair. That energy climbs into the 9th and 10th, with the combined swell energy hitting moderate numbers (563 and 595), but the wind stays up, and the surf quality is consistently marked as poor. It’s a big, blown-out mess.

From the 12th of August onward, the swell direction swings to the S and gets some serious period, up to 18 seconds. The combined energy jumps into the strong range, hitting 843 and 936. That’s a proper groundswell. But here’s the rub: the wind is still a fresh cross-shore. For a beach and reef setup like Sandy Beach, a long-period S swell with that wind is going to be a battle. The sets will be long and powerful, but the chop will make it a grumpy session.

The standout, if you can call it that, is the 19th of August. The swell is 8ft from the ENE with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy is a very strong 1537. The wind finally drops a touch to 22 mph. It’s still cross-shore, and the forecast only calls it marginal. That’s the best we’ve got, but it’s big. Anything over 8ft is for experts only, and with that wind, it’s going to be a heavy, unforgiving wave. The water temperature is about average for the time of year as no anomaly is noted. Crowds are often an issue here, so expect company, but given the conditions, it might be the bravest souls only.

Honestly, for most of this period, the beach is going to be more interesting for the kite surfers than the paddle surfers. The wind is consistent and strong, and the waves are choppy. It’s a bleak run, but it’s a normal pattern for the area when the trade winds lock in. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d be looking at the 19th as the only remote possibility, and even then, it’s a gamble.

Rusty.

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