Shida Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Looks like we’ve got a solid window of surf coming up at Shida, but you’ve gotta be ready for the good stuff mid-week and then a long, patchy lull before a possible late-flurry. Let’s get into it.

The first real action kicks off Friday July 10th. The water’s a bit colder than usual for this time of year, sitting at 73°, about 3° below average – so you’ll want a decent spring suit. Friday morning is the standout: clean 7ft south swell, with a very long period of 15 seconds, and light offshore winds from the south. The combined energy (1914) is very strong, so this is proper groundswell, delivering powerful, well-shaped waves. It’s a bit much for beginners over 5ft, but for experienced surfers, this is the best of the run. The same long-period swell holds through Friday afternoon and into Saturday, though Saturday morning turns a bit cross-off with a SSW breeze, so it’s not as glassy. By Saturday afternoon, clean offshore winds return, keeping the 7ft south swell (period 16 seconds, energy 2508) looking excellent. Sunday still has solid 6ft to 6ft SSW swell, but the wind is cross-off and the conditions are more marginal. This spot is exposed to the south and the optimum swell direction is SE, so the south-southwest direction is a slight angle, but the energy is still there.

Monday the 13th is a big drop-off. Swell tumbles to under 3ft, and the wind gets messy. We’re looking at small, weak waves (energy 332 down to 199) and cross-shore or cross-on winds through the middle of the week. From Monday through to Thursday the 16th, there are some surfable but very ordinary conditions – tiny 2ft to 4ft east-southeast swell with short periods (8-10 seconds). The energy is low (136-263), and while the wind is light and cross-off at times, it’s not worth rushing out for. Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th are similarly flat and weak, with energy dropping to triple digits and even 98 by Saturday afternoon. This is a classic quiet spell.

Then, from Sunday the 19th of July, the swell tries to build again, but the wind is a problem. Sunday and Monday the 20th see a jump in swell height (6ft to 7ft) from the east-northeast, but with strong cross-on winds (16-19 mph) and a short period of 8 seconds, it’s choppy and lumpy. The energy (403-674) is moderate, but the quality is poor – this is more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session. Tuesday the 21st through to Thursday the 23rd keep the swell around 5ft to 7ft, with energy climbing right up to 2262 on Thursday afternoon, but the wind stays cross-on or cross-shore, and the conditions are described as marginal or poor. The period stretches to 11 seconds on Thursday, which is a groundswell, but the wind is still a limiting factor.

The last few days (Friday 24th to Saturday 25th) see the swell drop back to 3ft to 4ft, with cross-on winds from the northeast again, so it’s choppy and ordinary. Not a great way to finish.

If you’re picking your moment, Friday morning and Saturday afternoon of the 10th and 11th are the true standouts – big, clean, powerful swell with offshore winds. The rest of the 16 days is either small and weak, or big and messy. Because Shida is inconsistent, a blank run like this is more normal for the area. The long-range stuff around the 23rd looks promising on paper with that big energy, but the wind is suspect, so keep an eye on the updates.

Stay stoked,
Rusty

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