Sawtell-The Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this sorted. Rusty here.

First up, the outlook is pretty quiet for a stretch, but there’s one real standout that’s worth circling on the calendar. For the next few days, conditions are a bit messy or just too small. The real action looks like it’s coming on Saturday the 25th of July.

The early part of the week is a write-off. Thursday the 24th afternoon has a 5 ft swell from the SSE, but it’s cross-shore at 12 mph and the combined wave energy is only 316 (moderate). The report says poor surf, so I’m not bothering.

Now, let’s talk about the highlight. Saturday morning, July 25, at Sawtell-The Island. This is the one. The swell is 5 ft from the SSE, with a period of 14 seconds – that’s a proper long period groundswell, which means those waves will have plenty of energy and shape, especially at a point break setup like this. The combined energy is a hefty 1106 (strong). The wind is glassy – a light northerly at 3 mph, dead calm. That is a major positive. The report says excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers. This is your window. The crowd factor is “sometimes,” so you might have a few others on it, but with that quality, it’s worth it. The water temperature is 67°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, only a touch below average.

Later that Saturday afternoon, the wind swings onshore from the east, and the swell drops to 4 ft. It’s a marginal call.

Sunday morning the 26th still has some clean, glassy conditions with a 3 ft SSE swell, but the energy is down to 267 (moderate). It’s surfable, but nowhere near the peak of Saturday morning.

From Monday the 27th onwards, the swell drops away significantly. Monday morning is clean, but only 4 ft with a short period of 9 seconds. The energy is a weak 212. By Tuesday the 28th, we’re down to 3 ft, and the rest of the week into the first days of August is mostly tiny, choppy, or blown out. There’s a brief bump on Thursday July 30 and Friday July 31 with 5-5 ft swell, but the wind is strong cross-off from the SSW at 12-15 mph, and the period is short (6-7 seconds). The combined energy is moderate, but the reports call it poor or marginal. Not worth the drive.

The second week, from August 1st onward, is flat to tiny. A few 1 ft to 3 ft days, with some easterly windswell coming in around August 5-6, but it’s short period (11-12 seconds) and cross-on or choppy. The combined energy never gets above 187 (weak). Nothing to get excited about. There’s a long gap of no real surf from July 28 until the next recommendation, which is a stretch of nearly a week and a half of very small or poor conditions.

So, to sum it up: if you’re keen, you’ve got one clear session – Saturday morning, July 25, at Sawtell-The Island. That’s the standout. The rest of the 16 days is mostly a waiting game.

Rusty.

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