Shida Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then. Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got on the cards for Shida.

Honestly, the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag. There’s some solid swell energy early on, but the wind is going to be a pain in the backside, making things messy. We’re looking at a long wait for any real clean conditions, and even then, it’s not going to be pumping. The water temp is sitting at 80°, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so no need for a thick wetsuit.

The first real chance for a wave at Shida doesn't come until Tuesday, the 11th of August. Monday is a write-off with a solid 7ft east swell but strong cross-onshore winds making it a choppy, ugly mess. Tuesday morning is still blown out with onshore wind, but by Tuesday afternoon, the wind eases and swings to the west, giving us a light cross-shore breeze. The swell drops to 6ft from the east with a 12-second period. The energy is still significant at (1191), but the wind is light, so it might clean up a bit. It’s still only a 3/10 call though – very marginal.

Wednesday the 12th of August morning is a standout, but don’t get too excited. We’ve got a clean 4ft east swell with a light cross-offshore breeze from the southeast. The energy is much weaker at (346), and the period is a short 10 seconds, so it won’t have much grunt. It’s the cleanest we’ll see for a while, but it’s small and inconsistent, as this break can be. Expect the occasional fun little wave if you’re on a groveler.

From there, it’s a grim stretch. Thursday the 13th through Sunday the 16th is all poor surf with onshore winds and lumpy conditions. Swell sticks around 5ft to 7ft but it’s all cross-on and choppy – not worth paddling out for.

Things start to look a little better on Monday the 17th of August. The swell drops to 6ft from the east-northeast, and we get a light cross-shore wind on Monday morning. Still only marginal (2/10), but the wind is light, so it might have some cleanish moments. Tuesday the 18th of August is another window with a clean 4ft east swell and light cross-offshore winds. Again, it’s small and the energy is low (325), but it’s surfable.

The best on offer across the whole run is probably Sunday, the 23rd of August. We get a moderate offshore breeze from the south, and the swell is a tiny 2ft from the east, but the period stretches out to 13 seconds – that’s a long-period groundswell. The energy is still weak (209), but with clean, offshore conditions, those little lines could hold up on the right bank. It’s not a day for big waves, but for a clean, small-wave session on a longboard, it’s your best bet. It’s far out, so keep an eye on it.

Bottom line: It’s a long, frustrating forecast with a lot of blown-out days. Don’t bother with the first week unless you’re desperate for a paddle. The only real hope is that late window around the 23rd. It’s not going to be epic, but it’ll be clean.

Rusty.

Read more