Shida Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Shida.

Right off the bat, the first few days are pretty quiet. Saturday the 4th and Sunday the 5th only offer tiny waves around 2ft to 2ft from the east, with light offshore wind making things clean but very weak—combined energy sits at just 84 to 86 (weak). It’s surfable but nothing to get excited about. Monday the 6th shows a bit more life: a pulse of 2ft to 4ft SE swell with a period of 13 seconds, building combined energy to 299–391 (moderate). The wind stays cross-off, keeping conditions tidy. Still, it’s not a standout.

The real action fires up from Tuesday the 7th through to Sunday the 12th. A solid SSE groundswell arrives, with periods of 15 to 17 seconds—long enough to really wrap in. Heights build from 5ft on Tuesday morning to a peak of 8ft on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. Combined energy hits 1485 (strong) on Tuesday and climbs to 3560 (very strong) by Wednesday. This is proper swell, but there are caveats: Tuesday sees onshore winds making it choppy, and Wednesday through Friday has cross-shore wind and some chop, so it’s more for experienced folks. The best bet is Thursday the 9th: 7ft to 8ft S swell, 14–16 second period, light offshore wind, clean conditions—excellent for experienced surfers. Combined energy is 2768 to 3421 (strong to very strong). Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th also offer clean, offshore wind with 5ft to 8ft SSW swell, but the size drops off a bit.

If I’m picking one standout, it’s Thursday the 9th at Shida. The swell is 8ft from the south at a long 16 seconds, with light offshore breeze (SSE 10–15 km/h) keeping it clean, and combined energy of 3421—very strong. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. Just know that with a long-period groundswell like this, the break can get a bit walled at beach setups; Shida is exposed and should handle it, but expect bigger sets and longer gaps.

Tuesday the 7th has an even bigger pulse (5ft–6ft, 16 seconds, energy up to 2185) but the onshore wind and rain ruin it. Wednesday the 8th sees 8ft–8ft but cross-shore wind and a chop. Not the pick.

After Sunday the 12th, the swell drops sharply. Monday the 13th has only 3ft from the SSW, and from Tuesday the 14th onward it’s back to pretty ordinary 2ft to 3ft windswell with weak energy in the double digits (69–153). Conditions are clean for some of it, but there’s no punch. There’s a gap of about a week with no real recommendations from around the 13th out to the 19th.

Water temp is 71° for the first session—just over a degree cooler than normal for this time of year. A bit nippy.

Shida is inconsistent and can get crowded often, so don’t expect it to be empty on the good days. If you’re heading out Thursday the 9th, get in early.

Rusty.

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