Xa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Xa.

First off, we’ve got a slow start. The first real surf worth paddling out for isn’t until Tuesday morning, the 25th of August. Between now and then, Monday’s offering is tiny and sickly – a 2ft south swell with cross-off wind, but the energy is weak (179). Forget it. So there’s a quiet gap before things kick off.

Tuesday morning the 25th is where it’s at. Xa (reef) wakes up with a solid 4ft swell from the SSE, a period of 15 seconds – that’s proper groundswell, nice and long. The wind is absolutely glassy, dead calm. This is the standout of the whole outlook, without a doubt. The water temp is 72°F, which is about 2° cooler than average, so nothing unusual for this time of year. Combined swell energy is pumping at 690 (moderate), and the wave comment says expect very good conditions. The swell is coming from the SSE, which is spot-on for the optimum east swell direction for this exposed reef. This is a wave for the advanced crew, and with it being “very consistent” you won’t be waiting long. Crowds are “sometimes”, so you might have company, but with waves this clean, it’s worth it.

Tuesday afternoon drops off with onshore wind and marginal conditions. Wednesday the 26th through the weekend is a write-off – messy onshore winds, lumpy cross-chop, and the swell direction swings more NE with short periods. The energy spikes on Thursday morning the 27th (1484 – strong energy) with 6ft from the SSE, but the cross wind ruins it. By Saturday the 29th through Monday the 31st of August, it’s all short-period, wind-chopped junk in the 5ft to 7ft range. Not worth it.

Then we hit a lull. From Tuesday the 1st of September through to Wednesday the 2nd, the swell drops back to 5ft to 5ft but still with poor wind and short period. The energy falls off a cliff to 204 (weak). Gaps of several days with nothing good.

Things perk up again on Thursday the 3rd of September. The morning brings 4ft from the SSE, 7-second period, but with a clean cross-off wind from the SSW. The comment says “expect good surf conditions,” so it’s a window, but it’s small and short period – fun but not epic. Energy is 243 (weak to moderate). Friday the 4th morning is similar – 3ft SSE, 9-second period, clean cross-off. That’s a nice little session for a grovel board.

From Saturday the 5th onwards, it fades. The weekend and into the next week (6th to 8th September) shows dropping swell, onshore or cross-on winds, and energy under 100 or just over. The 8th of September Tuesday afternoon shows a 4ft SSE swell but with fresh onshore wind – lumpy and ugly. The outlook runs out with nothing else on offer.

So overall, the single standout is Tuesday morning, 25th of August at Xa. Clean, glassy, proper groundswell, consistent. The rest of the fortnight is a mix of messy wind, short-period junk, or small clean windows that are only good for a quick paddle. If you’re not locked in for that Tuesday session, keep an eye on Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th of September mornings for a small but clean chance.

Rusty

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