Sawtell-The Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. We’ve got a mixed bag coming up for Sawtell’s The Island over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a slow start, but there’s a standout session that’ll get the blood pumping if you’re an experienced surfer. Let’s break it down.

The water temperature is sitting at 67.5°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

The real action kicks off on Monday, 20 July, in the morning. We’ve got a solid 8.2ft swell rolling in from the ESE, with a 10-second period. The combined wave energy is pumping hard at 1573 (moderate to strong energy). Winds are a light 9 mph from the south, blowing cross-offshore, which is gonna keep the faces clean. This is top-notch for experienced surfers—the Island’s exposed to the swell, so it’ll handle the size well. The swell is over 8.2ft, so this is strictly for the experts. Crowds can show up sometimes, so keep that in mind. The swell direction (ESE) is a good match for the optimum SE direction, so the waves should have decent shape. This Monday morning is the standout of the whole outlook.

After that, Monday afternoon drops off a bit with 7.5ft and cross-shore winds, not as clean. Tuesday, 21 July, sees the swell back down to 5.2ft in the morning, with a light 6 mph SW cross-off breeze. Clean conditions and lower energy (542), but it’s still surfable for the more experienced crowd. The afternoon goes cross-on and gets a bit rubbish.

Wednesday, 22 July, is small—3.9ft in the morning, but the wind is light and cross, so it’s not terrible, just very ordinary. The rest of the week is mostly small and messy, with a few clean windows but nothing to write home about. Thursday, 23 July, has a 3.0ft swell and clean morning conditions, but it’s weak.

Friday, 24 July, morning brings a 4.9ft SSE swell with a short 7-second period, but the wind is a moderate 12 mph cross-off, so it’s clean but the waves will be choppy and weak. Not great.

Then we hit a bit of a lull. Saturday, 25 July, morning is the next decent look—3.9ft SSE swell, but with a very long 14-second period. This is proper groundswell, and the wind is light cross-off from the SSW (3 mph). The combined energy is 573 (moderate). The long period will make the waves push hard and hold shape, but it might break a bit too straight for a beach break like The Island—that said, it’s a reef setup, so it should handle it well. The morning is clean, and it’s a solid option for the confident surfer. Still, the swell is under 4.9ft, so it’s not too big for intermediates either.

Sunday, 26 July, morning is glassy—zero wind—with a 3.3ft SSE swell at 13 seconds. Clean, fun, small waves. A good morning for a longboard.

Monday, 27 July, morning, another clean 3.6ft swell with a 10-second period, cross-off wind. Serviceable.

Now, there’s a gap of a few days of poor conditions from Tuesday, 28 July, afternoon through Wednesday, 29 July, and into Thursday, 30 July, morning. Then Thursday, 30 July, afternoon picks up again with a 5.9ft SSE swell, very long 17-second period, and cross-off winds. The wave energy jumps to 1961 (strong). This is another potential standout for experienced surfers, especially if the wind holds. The long period means it’ll have plenty of push, but again, at a reef break, it should be okay. The swell is over 4.9ft, so it’s not for beginners.

Friday, 31 July, is still clean but smaller, and the weekend of 1-2 August keeps a steady 4.9ft to 3.3ft with clean cross-off winds, but the energy is dropping. The second week is less certain, but the Thursday afternoon (30 July) and Friday morning (31 July) look promising if you’re chasing clean, long-period groundswell.

Overall, the best on offer is Monday, 20 July, morning for the experts, and Thursday, 30 July, afternoon as a long-range promise. The rest is mostly small and clean, but nothing to get too excited about. Stay stoked, and keep an eye on the sky.

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