Shida Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here again. Let’s break it down for the local spots.

The water temp is about 80°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year – nothing to write home about.

We’re getting off to a slow start. Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st only have tiny 1ft swell from the SE, with a short period of 10-11 seconds, and the energy is weak (between 77 and 113). The wind is light and offshore though, so it’ll be glassy if you want to get wet, but it’s super small.

Saturday the 22nd shows a little more life. The swell bumps up to 3ft-3ft from the E, period still around 11 seconds, and the energy gets into the moderate range (204-293). Saturday afternoon has a chance of thunderstorms but clean conditions. Still, it’s marginal.

Sunday the 23rd is a total loss with onshore winds and poor conditions.

Now, here’s the real deal. Monday the 24th of August is the standout. We’ve got a solid 8ft-8ft SSE groundswell with a long period of 16 seconds, pumping strong to very strong energy (3148-3665). Winds are light cross-offshore in the morning, turning gentle offshore by afternoon. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers only – the size and power are too much for beginners. The long period means the sets will be spaced out, but these waves have serious punch.

Tuesday the 25th through Thursday the 27th sees the swell blowing up to 12ft-16ft from the SSE. The winds are favorable, but this is way too big for Shida. The energy numbers are massive (up to 7016). This is strictly for experts, and even then, it might be a closeout. Watch from the sand.

Friday the 28th the swell drops to 8ft from the S/SSE, but the wind picks up strong – 30 km/h cross-off in the afternoon. It’s marginal, with energy still high (1140-2410). Might be worth a look for the experienced crew, but it’s not clean.

From Saturday the 29th through the start of September, conditions go south. Onshore winds, poor surf, and a lot of wind chop. There’s a brief window on Monday the 31st of August with a 5ft SE swell, clean offshore winds, and good energy (1215), which looks solid for experienced surfers. Tuesday the 1st of September also has a chance with 4ft-4ft S swell and light winds, but storms are a risk.

The rest of the first week of September is a mess – strong onshore winds, heavy rain, and even gale-force winds on the 4th. The energy is moderate, but the conditions are completely blown out. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing in that final stretch.

So, the call is clear: Monday the 24th of August is your best bet. Get on it if you’re an experienced surfer. The rest of the period is a mix of too small, too big, or too windy.

Rusty.

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