Sandy Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your board, but maybe don't paddle out just yet. Rusty here, and I've been staring at the charts for Sandy Beach. The whole 16-day window is a real bummer, to be honest. There are no good days, no hidden gems, nothing that's going to get you sprinting for the water. It's a long run of poor surf.

Let's start with the beginning. Tuesday, August 11th, is clear skies, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore from the ENE at 22 mph, just junking up the whole line-up. The swell is a tiny 3 ft from the SSW, and while the combined energy is moderate at 524, the water is a warm 81°F, which is about normal for this time of year. But with that wind, it's just lumpy cross-chop.

This pattern of fresh cross-shore winds and poor surf drags on all the way through the end of the week. Wednesday the 12th, Thursday the 13th, Friday the 14th – same story. The swell is between 3 ft and 4 ft, but with a 19 to 22 mph cross-shore wind, it's just ugly. The water temp is a non-factor; it's all about the wind.

Then we hit the weekend of the 15th and 16th. The swell jumps up. Saturday the 15th sees an 8 ft to 10 ft ENE swell with a short 11-second period, but the wind is howling from the NE at 28 to 31 mph. That's a strong breeze to near gale force, creating messy cross-chop and crossing waves. The combined energy is very strong (1625 and 2153), but it's a total mess. There are also risky thunderstorms around. This isn't for a paddle board; it looks more like a kite surfing day. Sunday the 16th brings a 10 ft swell with a 10-second period, and the wind shifts onshore from the ESE at 22 mph, then SE at 16 mph. Still a nightmare. The combined energy is very strong (2012 and 1759), but the onshore wind makes it a complete write-off.

The next week is a bit better, but not by much. Monday the 17th sees a drop in swell to 7 ft, with a gentle cross-onshore wind from the ENE at 9 mph in the morning. The combined energy is moderate (1102). The report says "marginal," but with the wind on it, it's still not worth it. The rest of the week from Tuesday the 18th to Thursday the 20th is back to fresh cross-shore winds and dropping swell, with the combined energy dropping to weak levels (225 to 621). The water temp is still normal.

So, the big picture is a long gap of nothing. The swell is too small and windy, or too big and blown out. The only tiny glimmer of hope is the consistent, long-period groundswell that shows up around August 20th. The 22nd of August has a 2 ft to 2 ft swell from the S with a very long period of 19 to 20 seconds. That's the kind of energy that could be clean at a point or reef, but at Sandy Beach, a beach and reef setup, that long period might just break too straight. Plus, the wind is still a moderate cross-shore from the ENE at 16 mph, so it'll be choppy. The combined energy is moderate (380 to 547). The 23rd and 24th are similar, with S to SSW swells around 3 ft to 3 ft and periods of 14 to 18 seconds, but the wind is still a fresh cross-shore. It's a frustrating pattern.

Given how consistently poor it is, keep your eyes on the forecasts. It usually doesn't stay this flat and blown out for long, and things can change. But for now, I'd be keeping the wax in the wrapper.

Rusty.

Read more