Sandy Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Look, I’ll be straight with you—this stretch of coastline is staring down the barrel of a pretty grim run as far as proper surf goes. The whole 16-day window is filled with messy, wind-affected waves, and the only real flicker of hope comes right at the very end. You’re gonna have to wait a while for anything worth paddling out for.

Let’s talk about Sandy Beach. The water is sitting at 81°F, which is about average for this time of year, so that’s not gonna be your problem. The problem is the wind. For the first week and a half, it’s all cross-shore or cross-onshore from the ENE, blowing anywhere from 19 mph to 25 mph. That’s just flattening everything out and making it lumpy. The swell is all over the shop—short-period, wind-driven junk from the east at 5 ft to 7 ft, with combined energy pushing into the moderate range (562 to 861). But it’s not doing you any favours. The wave comment is consistently “poor surf conditions,” and the scores are zero. It’s a beach-and-reef setup, so honestly, with that much wind and that poor quality, it’s looking more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

There’s a short gap around the 2nd and 3rd of September where things get a bit more interesting. On the morning of the 3rd, we get a light offshore wind from the ESE at only 3 mph, with a 4 ft swell from the east at a period of 13 seconds. That’s a groundswell, and the combined energy is 820 (moderate). The wind is glassy, and it’s the only time in the whole window the wind is truly offshore. It’s a marginal call, but it’s the best you’ll see. The break is fairly consistent, but crowds are often a problem here, so expect company. The swell direction is E, which is a bit off the optimum ESE, but it’s close enough.

After that, it’s back to the same old story for another week—cross-shore winds, lumpy chop, and poor conditions. The swell picks up again from the 5th of September onward, with some bigger pulses from the ENE hitting 6 ft and periods climbing to 11–12 seconds. The combined energy gets strong (1078 to 1621), but the wind stays cross-shore or cross-onshore, so the quality just isn’t there. The best of the bunch is the morning of the 6th of September—a 6 ft swell from the ENE at 12 seconds, with moderate cross-shore wind. The combined energy is 1621 (strong), and the wave comment is “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” It’s not a standout, but it’s the only other time you might get a wave that’s not completely terrible. The period is long enough to have some shape, but at a beach break, it could be a bit straight.

The true standout here is the morning of the 3rd of September. That’s your best bet for a clean, offshore session with a bit of groundswell. But it’s a long way off, and the forecast could change.

Rusty.

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