Shida Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, straight up, this isn’t a classic run for Shida. The first week is a bit of a write-off, with the real action not kicking in until Friday the 10th. The first few days are small and messy, then we get a blast of big, choppy, cross-onshore energy that’s more of a headache than a highlight. You’ve gotta be patient.

The water temp is sitting at 71°F, which is a solid 4°F colder than normal for this time of year – you’ll feel that nip if you’re in a spring suit.

We start on Friday morning, July 3rd, with a weak 3ft NE swell pushing in at a short 6 seconds. It’s crossed-up and onshore, giving us 142 (weak energy) of choppy, poor surf. Not worth the paddle. Saturday the 4th is cleaner, with a light offshore wind, but the swell drops to 2-2ft from the E. It’s surfable but ordinary – a knee-high dribbler. Sunday the 5th is even smaller and weaker. Monday the 6th sees a jump to 7ft from the ESE, but it’s windblown and messy with moderate energy in the 700-1100 range. Tuesday the 7th through to Wednesday the 8th gets wild: 6-8ft swells from the SSE, but the wind is cross-on and the energy cranks up from 1765 to 5617 (strong to very strong). That’s a lot of water moving but it’s raw and choppy. This is kite-surfing territory, not paddle.

Now, the first real standout comes on Friday, July 10th. We get a proper S groundswell hitting 8ft with a long 16-second period. The energy is massive at 3597 (very strong), but the key is the offshore S wind – glassy, clean lines. This is for experienced surfers only; it’s too big for beginners and that long period means it might close out on a beach break, but at a spot like Shida, the direction works. Saturday the 11th is still solid with 7-7ft from the S, clean under cross-off winds, but the energy starts to drop a touch.

The next notable window is Sunday, July 12th. Swell drops to 5ft from the SSW with a 15-second period, but the wind goes glassy – dead calm. That’s a major positive. The energy is still moderate at 941. If you can get on it, this is when it cleans right up for intermediate surfers. Monday the 13th is smaller again, 3-3ft, but glassy and clean. Past that, the energy fades into small, weak knee-high conditions from the 14th onwards. Wednesday the 15th gets blown out by a near-gale, and the final push on the 16th-18th brings back choppy cross-onshore slop, though Friday the 17th afternoon shows a glimmer with 6ft SSE swell and clean cross-off winds – worth a mention for experienced heads.

Bottom line: If you’re chasing the biggest, cleanest swell, lock in Friday July 10th and Saturday July 11th for expert stuff. Sunday the 12th is the best call for a solid, glassy session that won’t beat you up as much. After that, it’s a long wait for anything good.

Rusty.

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