Shida Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Shida over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it's a bit of a slow start. We're looking at a stretch of pretty ordinary conditions blowing through the first week and a half, with a few days where you might as well stay home. The window of opportunity doesn't really open until the second week. The standout period is from the 21st of September through to the 23rd, which looks like the real deal.

The only spot on the radar is Shida, an exposed, inconsistent intermediate break that can get crowded. The water temp is sitting at 81°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

We kick off the 9th with a stormy risk, a strong southwesterly wind at 25 mph, and a messy 8 ft south swell. The energy is moderate (925), but it's just poor surf. The 10th is a write-off with onshore winds, and from the 11th to the 14th we're looking at tiny, weak swells and poor conditions. A few mornings on the 14th and 15th show glimmers of hope with some clean, cross-offshore winds as a 4 ft swell from the SE and ESE shows up, but the energy is still only moderate (327-368). The 15th afternoon actually has a clean offshore wind and a 14-second period swell, but it's only 2 ft – a fun little window if you're keen.

Now, the 20th of September is where things start to get interesting. The morning looks glassy with a 4 ft ENE swell, but the energy is still moderate (279). That's a nice little session.

The real standout is Monday the 21st of September. The morning is absolutely glassy with a 6 ft ENE swell, and the energy is building into strong territory (599). The wind is dead calm; it's going to be clean. This is the best call for a solid, fun surf before the bigger stuff hits.

Then Tuesday the 22nd starts with a glassy calm, a 3 ft south swell, but the energy is still strong (544). The wind is zero, so it'll be clean, but the swell is small.

The big one, the one you wait for, is Wednesday the 23rd of September. We've got a 4 ft south swell in the morning, jumping to 5 ft from the SSW by the afternoon. The period is a very long 16 seconds, so this is proper groundswell, and the combined energy is very strong (1016-1317). The wind is a light cross-offshore, so it'll be clean. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. Heads up though, that long period can make beach breaks a bit wonky, but if the banks are right, it's game on.

Unfortunately, the 24th of September looks like it gets blown out by a fresh onshore wind, even though the swell energy is massive (1368-1534). That's a kite-surfing setup if I've ever seen one.

To wrap it up: the first week and a half is a write-off. The 21st and 23rd of September are your best bets. The 21st for the glassy, clean conditions, and the 23rd for the serious power and quality. It's a long-range call, so don't bank on it, but it's got the potential to be a cracker.

Rusty.

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