Sawtell-The Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, lookin’ at the next 16 days for our local stretch. The first week’s got some serious size, but it’s all about pickin’ the right windows. We’ve got one spot that’s the clear standout for a proper session, but we’ll work through the timeline.

The biggest show is at Sawtell-The Island (Sawtell). This is an advanced spot, fairly consistent, and it’s exposed to the swell. The water’s sittin’ at 67° right now, which is about average for this time of year, so no crazy surprises there.

We start with a bit of a slow warm-up. Saturday the 18th is a write-off—on the morning we’ve got 6 ft of ESE swell, but it’s crossed up with a S wind at 16 mph, makin’ it messy. The energy’s lookin’ weak in the water (627). Kite surfers might be havin’ a look, but it’s not for us.

Sunday the 19th gets big, but it’s too big. The morning sees 10 ft from the E with a period of 10 seconds, energy’s pumpin’ (2284), but the wind is cross from the SSE at 16 mph. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s a handful. The afternoon is even bigger at 12 ft and 4267 energy—definitely too much for paddle surfing.

Now, here’s the standout. Monday morning, the 20th of July, is the pick of the whole forecast. We’ve got 8 ft of ESE swell rollin’ in, period at 10 seconds, and the energy is solid (2591). The wind is a gentle S breeze at 9 mph, blowin’ cross-off, keepin’ the surface clean. For an experienced surfer, this is it. Good size, clean lines, and the swell direction is bang on from the SE, which is the sweet spot for this break. Crowds are possible, so get in early.

The rest of the first week tails off. Monday afternoon drops to 7 ft with a cross breeze, and the energy fades (931). Tuesday the 21st starts with a glassy 5 ft from the E, wind from the SW at 3 mph, dead calm—it’s pretty, but the energy is weak (484). The surf’s small from there on, with 3 ft on Wednesday and 2 ft on Thursday, all with poor conditions.

Friday the 24th sees a slight bump back to 7 ft from the SSE, but it’s marginal. The energy is moderate (783) and the wind is cross-off from the SSW, but the quality’s not there.

Into the second week, it’s small and inconsistent. Saturday the 25th and Sunday the 26th have 4 ft and 4 ft, both glassy in the mornings, but the energy is low (263 and 277). Monday the 27th is tiny at 3 ft. The tail end of the forecast, from Tuesday the 28th to Sunday the 2nd of August, is mostly under 3 ft with poor winds and rain showers. The energy stays weak, never crackin’ 300. There’s a long stretch of flat days, so don’t get your hopes up for the second week.

So, bottom line: Monday morning the 20th of July is the one to target. Get on it early, clean lines, solid 8 ft from the ESE, and the wind’s your friend. The rest is a gamble.

Rusty.

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