Shida Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Things are looking pretty quiet around here for a while, but there’s a bit of a pulse building later on if you’ve got patience.

Right now, the water temp at Shida is sitting at 82°F, which is about average for this time of year with the anomaly around 2°F above normal. Not much to mention there.

The forecast kicks off with a flat spell. From Saturday the 29th of August right through the first few days of September, the surf is pretty much a no-go. Tiny waves, mostly 2 ft to 3 ft from the east and east-southeast, and the wind is all over the place – cross, cross-on, onshore. Combined energy figures are low, between 107 and 255, so there’s just no push. You’re looking at a gap of about 5 days where nothing’s worth paddling out for.

Things start to liven up a little on Tuesday the 1st of September in the afternoon. The swell holds around 3 ft from the east-southeast with a period of 11 seconds, and the wind goes light cross-off from the east-southeast. It’s clean, small, but at least it’s surfable. The combined energy is 255, still moderate. Not a standout, but a sign of life.

Wednesday the 2nd of September sees similar small waves, 2 ft to 3 ft, with clean conditions in the afternoon. Still not much to write home about.

Moving into the first week of September, the swell slowly builds. Thursday the 3rd of September has a bit of a mix – afternoon sees 4 ft from the south-southeast but with a very short period of 6 seconds, so it’s weak and messy. Marginally surfable at best.

The real highlight is shaping up for Monday the 7th of September. That morning, we’ve got 8 ft of east-southeast swell with a 9-second period, cross-off wind from the east-southeast, and combined energy hitting 1050. That’s strong, clean, and just about right for experienced surfers. The 8 ft in the afternoon is a bit bigger but still clean. This is the best window in the whole outlook – groundswell, good shape, solid energy.

Tuesday the 8th of September sees the swell pumping even bigger, 10 ft from the east-southeast with a 12-second period, cross-off wind, and combined energy over 3000. That’s big, powerful, and clean – but it’s too big for most. Only for experts who know what they’re doing. The offshore wind keeps it glassy, but at this size, it’s a serious session.

From Wednesday the 9th of September, the wind starts to shift, and conditions deteriorate. The swell holds around 10 ft to 12 ft, but the wind goes cross-shore, and the quality drops. By Thursday the 10th, the wind cranks up to 18-25 mph from the north-northeast, making it lumpy and messy. This pattern continues right through to the 13th, with strong onshore winds and blown-out conditions. The swell stays big, but it’s not surfable for paddle surfing – more of a kite session if anything.

So, if you’re holding out, the standout is definitely Monday the 7th of September. That morning, Shida sees 8 ft from the east-southeast, clean cross-off wind, and strong energy (1050). It’s the best mix of size and quality in the whole 16-day window. After that, the swell gets too big and the wind turns ugly.

Rusty.

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