Shida Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. We’re looking at a classic early-spring run for Shida, and to be honest, the first few days are a write-off. Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st are a total loss—cross-onshore wind, choppy, weak little 2ft east swell, and the combined energy is barely a whisper at 104 to 204. You’d be better off doing anything else. Tuesday the 1st of September is no better, with the same messy wind and poor surf conditions. The water temp is a warm 82°F, which is about one degree above the norm for this time of year—nothing wild, just a touch of summer still hanging around.

Then we get a glimmer. Wednesday morning the 2nd of September, the wind goes glassy, the swell bumps to 3ft from the ESE with a 10-second period, and the combined energy hits a modest 203. The break is inconsistent and only rated for intermediate surfers, but for a few hours Wednesday morning, it’s glassy and clean. That is the only proper window in the first week. After that, Thursday gets a clean offshore wind from the SSW, but the swell is a messy 4ft with a short 6-second period—more of a choppy lump than a wave. Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th are back to crap.

Now here’s where it gets interesting, but also a bit of a trap. Sunday the 6th of September sees a massive jump in energy: 1127 to 1278, with a 5ft SE swell at 12 seconds. But the wind is cross-shore and lumpy, and the surf quality is still marginal. Then Monday the 7th of September delivers the biggest swell of the window—10ft to 12ft from the east, with moderate wave energy (2688 to 4250). The wind is offshore and clean. But here’s the catch: the guidance says this break is exposed, and for that size, it’s predicted to be too big for this spot. This is expert-only territory, and with a 9 to 10-second period, it won’t be the long, lined-up groundswell you’d want for a reef. It’ll be a churning wall of whitewater. Not one for the average punter.

Tuesday the 8th of September drops to 8ft from the east, but the wind is onshore and the conditions are marginal. By Wednesday the 9th, it’s back to strong cross-onshore winds and lumpy, ugly surf, despite the size. The rest of the second week is a mess of heavy rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds, with the swell dropping back to 3–4ft but never getting clean. The combined energy readings are high (up to 3941) but it’s all wind-swamp and chop.

The standout: If you’re an expert and you can handle big, punishing waves, the early part of Monday the 7th of September might offer a raw, powerful session, but it’s not for the faint-hearted and crowds are often around. For the rest of us, Wednesday morning the 2nd of September is the only real highlight—small, glassy, fun for an intermediate. It’s a one-day wonder.

That’s it from me. Stay salty.

Rusty

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