Shida Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Shida. Look, I’m gonna be straight with you – for the most part, the next week and a half is a bit of a flat spell, with only tiny, weak waves. But if you’ve got patience, there’s a worthwhile payoff way out there in the second week, and it looks like a proper standout.

The next week or so, through to the end of July, is pretty quiet. The swell is small, mostly around 1ft to 3ft, and the energy is weak. We’re talking combined energy values mostly sitting between 62 and 240. It’s not going to be doing much. The wind is often cross or onshore, which doesn't help. There are a few moments with clean conditions and offshore breezes, but the waves are just too small to get excited about. You’ll see a few days with a score of 1 out of 10, but it’s really just knee-high slop at best.

Now, let’s talk about the first real standout. It comes on Wednesday morning, July 31st. We see a pulse of very long-period energy, 19 seconds, from the ESE. The swell is tiny at 1ft, but the combined energy jumps to 144. The wind is light and offshore from the SSE. This is a classic case of long-period groundswell, meaning the waves will be clean and lined up, but very inconsistent. It’s a surfable wave, but it’s not going to be big. The real standout is the afternoon session on the same day. The period drops slightly to 18 seconds, but the swell holds at 1ft, and the combined energy doubles to 240. The wind is still gentle offshore from the SSE. This is a good sign that the swell is starting to fill in. It’s clean, but still small.

Hold on to your boards, because the real magic is happening on Saturday, August 1st. The ESE groundswell arrives with a serious punch. The combined energy skyrockets to 1961 for the morning and 2688 for the afternoon. The swell is 6ft, building to 7ft, with a period of 18 seconds. This is a powerful, long-period groundswell. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the ESE and SE. This is excellent surf for experienced surfers. The wave comment says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers" and it gets a score of 4 out of 10, which is the highest we see. This is the best on offer, no question. The water temperature is about 77°F, which is just 1°F cooler than normal for this time of year, so pretty average.

Now, a word of caution for Sunday, August 2nd. The swell gets even bigger, hitting 8ft from the ESE with the same 18-second period. The combined energy is massive, between 3998 and 4319. However, the wind shifts to a light cross-shore from the east, and the report says "marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions." This is a very powerful swell, but the conditions might not be perfect. The waves will be big, clean, and powerful, but only for experts. The big numbers on the energy scale tell you the ocean is going to be working with a lot of force.

The first week of August is the clear winner here. The surf on Saturday, August 1st, is the standout. Shida (United States) is inconsistent, so when it turns on, you need to be ready. The crowds are "often", so expect company. The optimum swell direction is from the SE, and this swell is coming from the ESE, which is close enough to be a match. The swell is a bit big for beginners, but for anyone with experience, it’s going to be a great session.

After that, the swell drops off quickly. Monday, August 3rd, sees strong cross-onshore winds with fresh breezes, ruining the quality. The energy is still high, between 2724 and 3112, but the conditions are poor. The rest of the week has some clean days but the swell drops back to under 7ft, and the energy is much lower. It’s a quick fade.

So, the verdict: suffer through the flat spell now, and get ready for a proper session on Saturday, August 1st. It’s a long way out, so keep an eye on the forecasts, but it’s looking like the best we’re going to get in this 16-day window.

Rusty.

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