Sunderland Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Sunderland Bay over the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest. We’ve got some serious size and energy early on, but the wind is going to be a major player, and it’s not always going to be on our side. The water temp is sitting at 57°F, which is about average for this time of year, so nothing weird going on there.

The first few days are going to be a write-off for most of us. Wednesday the 9th is looking wild – we’ve got a solid 10ft SW swell with a long 18-second period, and the energy is strong at 5792, but that 35 km/h SSW wind is just going to shred it. It’s all onshore, poor conditions. You’d be mad to paddle out unless you’re chasing a beating. Kite surfers might be having a field day, but that’s about it. Thursday the 10th cleans up a touch with 8ft SW, but it’s still marginal, and that 20 km/h SW wind keeps it ugly.

Now, Friday the 11th is where things start to get interesting. The morning is pure glass – zero wind – and we’ve still got 6ft of SW swell with a 15-second period. The energy is moderate at 1229. It’s not huge, but the conditions are primed. That’s your pick of the early window. Saturday morning the 12th is also a contender. The wind goes light offshore from the NNE, and we’ve got 6ft of SW swell with the same 15-second period, energy at 1513. It’s a touch bigger than Friday, and the offshore wind is going to make it clean. Both mornings are looking like proper surf. Saturday afternoon and Sunday are deteriorating with the wind swinging onshore and cross-off, and the swell backs right down.

After that, it’s a bit of a lull for a few days. Monday and Tuesday drop off significantly, the energy gets weak, and the wind is messy. It’s a waiting game.

We get a pulse back on Tuesday the 15th – 8ft SW, energy jumping to 1747 – but the wind is straight on it again from the SW at 25 km/h. Poor quality. That one’s for the kites again. Big numbers in the water, but not for paddling.

The next real standout is Saturday the 19th. The morning looks good with a light cross-off breeze from the ENE and 5ft of SW swell. The energy is modest at 654, but the wave comment is positive and it should be clean. After that, it’s a slow fade again into the second week. The swell drops away, the energy gets weak, and a fresh NW cross-off wind kicks in, which will keep things a bit wind-blown. There’s still some SW groundswell in the water, but the heights are small – around 3ft to 3ft. It’s small, but the period stays long, so there’s still a bit of push in the lines if you’ve got a longboard.

So, to sum it up: the pick of the whole stretch is Saturday morning the 12th. It’s got the size, the clean conditions, and the offshore wind. Friday morning the 11th is your backup for a glassy, smaller alternative. The rest is really just about picking through the scraps and waiting for that wind to drop. Keep an eye on it; long-range forecasts can change. This is Rusty, signing off.

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