Shida Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Shida over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a real gem on Wednesday the 29th of July. The morning is showing a 6ft SSW swell with a period of just 7 seconds, but the wind is dead calm – glassy as can be – and the combined energy is sitting at 427 (moderate). That’s going to produce some clean, fun waves. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there. Shida is an exposed spot, so it picks up whatever’s running, and with the wind being glass, this is the standout session of the whole outlook. The swell direction is from the SSW, which is not its absolute optimum (SE is preferred), but the conditions are so clean it’s hard to look past. It’s an inconsistent break, so you’ll need to be patient and wait for the sets, but when they come, you’ll be stoked. Crowds are often a factor here, so expect a few locals out.

Wednesday afternoon the wind swings to a light offshore from the S at 10 km/h, waves drop to 3ft, and it’s surfable but ordinary. Thursday the 30th sees tiny 2ft glassy surf in the morning, then 2ft in the afternoon with a risk of thunderstorms – nothing to write home about. Friday the 31st through to Saturday the 1st of August is poor – small, messy, cross-onshore winds, and really not worth paddling out for.

Then Sunday the 2nd of August shows a bit of a pulse: a 4ft SE swell with a long period of 15 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 608 (moderate), but the wind is cross-shore at 10–15 km/h, so it’s marginal. That long period will make the waves better shaped but the sets will be spaced out, and at a beach setup like Shida, it might break a bit straight. Still, it’s a chance for a few corners.

From Monday the 3rd of August, things get serious. The swell builds fast – 7ft on Monday morning, up to 18ft by Wednesday the 5th, with periods of 17 seconds and combined energy shooting into the thousands (2856, 4216, 6833, 8431, and then 17673–18456). That’s a massive amount of energy. But the wind is cross-onshore at 20–35 km/h, making it messy and lumpy. The swell is simply too big for this break – the forecast says it’s too big for paddle surfing. Honestly, by the time it hits 13ft and above, this is more of a kite-surfing show than a surf session. Only experts should even think about it.

Thursday the 6th through to Saturday the 8th of August, the swell drops from 20ft to 8ft, and the wind turns cross-offshore at 25 km/h, making the conditions clean. But the swell is still big – 10ft on Friday the 7th and 8ft on Saturday the 8th morning – so it’s only for the experienced. The standout here is Saturday the 8th afternoon: 6ft S swell, period 9 seconds, with a moderate offshore wind of 25 km/h. The combined energy is 1232 (strong), and it’s reported as excellent for experienced surfers. That’s a solid session if you’ve got the skills.

Sunday the 9th of August is also good – 6ft ESE swell, 15 seconds, offshore wind, 1705 energy – again for the experienced. The long period will make it better at the point or reef, but Shida is exposed, so it’ll still work.

After that, the second week fades. Monday the 10th has 4–4ft ESE swell with fresh offshore winds, but it’s marginal. Tuesday the 11th is similar but poor. Wednesday the 12th and Thursday the 13th show a small 3–4ft E swell, with clean conditions and light winds, but the energy is low (273–352) and the period is short on Thursday (7 seconds). It’s surfable but nothing special.

Overall, the best on offer is Wednesday the 29th of July morning – glassy conditions, 6ft, and a moderate energy swell. The second standout is Saturday the 8th of August afternoon for the experienced crew with clean offshore winds. There’s a gap of poor surf from Friday the 31st to Saturday the 1st of August, and then a big swell window that’s too big for most. Stay patient and pick your moments.

Rusty.

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