Sawtell-The Island Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Alright, we’ve got a long look ahead for Sawtell – The Island. It’s an advanced-level break out here, fairly consistent but exposed to the open ocean. Optimum swell is from the southeast.

We’re kicking off on Sunday the 12th of July with a small but workable pulse. The morning has a clean 3ft swell from the ESE with a moderate period of 10 seconds, and a light WNW breeze keeping things cross-off. The combined energy is sitting at 205 (moderate). It’s not big, but it’s tidy. Afternoon drops a touch to 3ft, still clean with that southwest breeze.

Monday the 13th starts off glassy—dead flat calm, with only 2ft of ESE swell at a short 8-second period. Energy is weak at 58. It’s surfable if you’re desperate for a glide, but there’s no push. That glassy morning is the best part, but the afternoon gets destroyed by an onshore ENE breeze.

Tuesday and Wednesday morning are flat and not worth a mention. Then Wednesday afternoon the 15th sees a jump to 7ft from the SSE, but it’s accompanied by 30 km/h SSW winds. Combined energy jumps to 401 (strong), but those winds and a short period of 7 seconds make for poor conditions. Not your day.

Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th get heavy. We’re looking at 8ft to 12ft of SSE/SE swell—big numbers, with combined energy hitting 1570 and 2341 (very strong). The winds are cross-off, but the swell is simply too big for this break. This is expert-only territory. Even then, it’s a warning.

Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th hold that massive swell, easing from 12ft down to 8ft on the Sunday afternoon. That Sunday afternoon is the first real standout in this run. The swell is 8ft from the ESE, period 10 seconds, with glassy conditions and just a light SE breeze. Combined energy is 1509 (very strong). For experienced surfers, this is excellent. But again, this is not for beginners—over 2.5m (8ft) is expert-only.

Monday the 20th is still solid at 7ft from the ESE, clean with light NW winds, and 750 combined energy (moderate to strong). It’s a very good session for those who know what they’re doing.

Now, here’s the best on offer for the whole period: Tuesday the 21st of July. The morning session is the standout. We’ve got 8ft of ESE groundswell with a long period of 12 seconds—that’s quality, energy-filled waves with longer waits between sets. The wind is WSW at 10 km/h, offshore and clean. Combined energy is 1516 (very strong). This is a proper groundswell event for an exposed, advanced break. The afternoon on Tuesday gets clouded by onshore wind and tricky tide, so hit the dawn session.

After that, we’re into a steady drop. Wednesday the 22nd has 6ft in the morning but those winds pick up. By Thursday the 23rd, it’s back to 4ft, clean with light SSW winds, and combined energy at 569 (moderate). It’s okay, but nothing special.

We get a bit of a glassy morning on Saturday the 25th with 4ft from the SE and a 10-second period—clean, small, but surfable for the patient. After that, the energy drops off hard. Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th see weak 2ft E swells with short periods and poor winds. No real surf on offer to close out the window.

So, to wrap it up: the first week is mostly small and clean, then there’s a massive pulse mid-month that’s only for experts. The Tuesday 21st July morning is your best bet—big groundswell, offshore wind, serious energy. The Sunday 19th afternoon is also a cracker for experienced surfers.

Stay safe out there. — Rusty.

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