Sawtell-The Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ at Sawtell-The Island over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s some real promise if you pick your moments.

We’ve got a solid run of surf kicking off right now. The water’s sitting at 67 °F, which is about average for this time of year—nothing unusual there. The best bet in the near term is looking like Friday, August 14th. We’ve got a solid south swell building, coming in at 6 ft with a period of 9 seconds from the S. The morning is looking clean with a light cross-offshore breeze from the SSW. This spot is exposed to the swell direction, and with moderate wave energy behind it, the sets will have some push. It’s an advanced break, and it’s fairly consistent, so keep your wits about you. Crowds can pop up here sometimes, so get in early.

After Friday morning, the swell backs off a touch but stays rideable into Saturday. Saturday morning, August 15th, sees 4 ft from the SSE with a short 6-second period – that’s a bit junky and the energy is weak. Not a standout.

Sunday, August 16th, has a morning window with 5 ft from the SSE and 7-second period. It’s clean with cross-off wind, but the energy is moderate, and it’s only rated as marginal.

Looking ahead, the morning of Tuesday, August 18th is worth a mention. Swell drops to 5 ft from the ESE, but the wind goes nearly dead – just a slight air from the SSW, staying cross-off. The wave energy is moderate, and it’ll be clean. Not the biggest, but a good, user-friendly option.

Wednesday morning, August 19th is another clean, cross-off morning with 5 ft from the SE. Energy is moderate. A solid, quiet session before the wind shifts.

Then on Thursday, August 20th, we get a glassy morning. The swell is 4 ft from the SE, 7-second period. It’s clean, calm, and the energy is low. This is a morning for a longboard and a peaceful paddle.

After that, things go quiet. From Friday, August 21st right through to the 26th, the swell drops right off – we’re looking at 2 ft to 3 ft with weak energy, mostly onshore or cross-onshore winds. A few clear mornings with light offshores on the 23rd and 25th might give you a tiny, clean wave but nothing to get excited about.

There’s a flicker of life on the final morning, Thursday, August 27th, when a new SSE swell pushes through at 4 ft with an 8-second period. It’s clean with cross-off wind, but the energy is moderate and it’s only marginal.

The last day, Friday August 28th, sees a longer-period groundswell – 4 ft from the SSE with a 14-second period. That’s a long-period groundswell, which can be a bit tricky at a point break like this; it might wall up and run. But the wind is cranking out of the south at 25 mph, making it a windy, messy affair. The energy is strong, but that wind’s gonna ruin it for paddling. Honestly, that setup might be better for the kite crew than us surfers.

So, to wrap it up: Friday morning, August 14th is your standout. Get it while it’s clean and solid. Thursday, August 20th is the other good call for a glassy, fun session. The rest is a long, quiet spell until the end of the month, and even that comes with strong wind.

Stay tuned, and keep your eyes on the horizon.

Rusty.

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