Sawtell-The Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Sawtell-The Island. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but there’s definitely some quality to be found if you’re patient.

The water temp is sitting at 68°, which is about 1° cooler than usual for this time of year – nothing crazy, just a touch on the fresh side, so you might want that extra mil.

We’ve got a decent run of small, clean conditions kicking off the weekend. Saturday morning, July 11th, is the standout early call. The Island is seeing a 4ft SE swell, a period of 10 seconds, and with those NNW winds going glassy, it’s going to be silky smooth. The combined energy is moderate at 513, so there’s a bit of push. It’s a fairly consistent break, but it can get crowded, so get in early. This is the pick of the first week.

From Saturday afternoon, things get a bit ordinary. Sunday morning, July 12th, offers a clean 3ft ESE swell with a light cross-offshore WNW breeze, but it’s a bit of a drop-off. The energy is weak at 206. Monday morning, the 13th, is glassy again but the swell has dropped to just 2ft from the south with a short 8-second period – energy is a paltry 93. It’s surfable, but barely.

After that, we hit a real slump. From Tuesday, July 14th, through to Wednesday morning, July 15th, the swell flatlines to 0.7ft. That’s a solid two-day gap with nothing worth paddling for. On Wednesday afternoon, the wind picks up and an 8ft SSE swell arrives, but the period is short (8 seconds), and the wind is a fresh 30 km/h cross-offshore. The energy jumps to 824, but it’s messy and probably not worth the effort.

Then it gets chunky, but not for the faint-hearted. From Thursday, July 16th, right through to Monday, July 20th, the swell pumps up to 10ft to 12ft from the SE and ESE. The energy readings are massive – 2177, 4387, even 6100 on the 19th. But this is an advanced spot, and those sizes are too big for most. The wind is often cross or cross-off, and the forecasts are saying it’s simply too big for this break. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it’s a serious call.

The real gem in the second week is further out. On Tuesday, July 21st, the swell drops to a more manageable 8ft from the east, with a long 12-second period. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSW, making for clean conditions. Combined energy is a strong 1757. This is excellent for experienced surfers.

Then keep an eye on Thursday, July 23rd afternoon. An 8ft S swell with an 11-second period, clean cross-offshore winds, and energy at 2638. That’s another proper session for the crew who know what they’re doing.

Further ahead, Saturday, July 26th morning looks promising again with a 6ft ESE swell, 11-second period, and a clean offshore WSW breeze. The energy is 1012, and it’s flagged as excellent for experienced surfers.

So, the bottom line: Saturday morning, July 11th, is your best bet for a fun, clean, user-friendly wave. For the big dog crew, the windows on July 21st morning and July 23rd afternoon are the standouts, but they’re for the experienced only. There’s a dead patch in the middle of the first week, so plan around it.

Rusty.

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