Xa Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s size up the next stretch at Xa. It’s a bit of a slow burn, but there’s a couple of absolute crackers hidden in the mix if you’re patient.

Overall, the pattern is pretty quiet for the first week with small, weak swell and average winds. We then see a significant SSE groundswell pulse arrive late, with the real gems being the glassy mornings where that long-period energy lines up. There’s a few days right at the start where it’s a total write-off, so save your energy for the standouts.

The first decent window worth paddling out for is Tuesday morning, 25 August. The water temp is about 73°F, right on the money for this time of year. The wind will be glass – dead calm – and that’s a massive plus. The swell is a clean 4ft from the SSE with a solid 14-second period. That’s proper groundswell with good energy (607). It’s going to be clean, but at a reef setup, that longer period might make it a bit straight on a beach, but here, at the reef, it should line up nicely. This is a sneaky good one.

Now, the real standout – and I mean, the one to circle on the calendar – is Wednesday morning, 26 August. We’re talking a solid 5ft of SSE swell pumping in with an incredible 18-second period. The combined energy is firing hard (1637). You get an offshore breeze from the NNE, glassy conditions, and it’s all pointing to excellent surf for experienced surfers. The reef will hold that energy perfectly. This is the best on offer, no question. The afternoon sees the swell holding but the onshore wind messes it up, so get out there early.

Thursday morning, 27 August is another cracker for the experienced crew. You’ll have 5ft of SSE swell, period at 15 seconds, light cross-off wind from the NNW, and clean conditions. Energy is still huge (1146). It’s a very close second to Wednesday morning, really.

After that, the quality drops off hard. From Friday 28th right through until the end of the first week, the wind turns nasty – strong, cross and cross-on – turning the surf into lumpy, choppy mess. Even with swell around, it’s just not worth it for a paddle.

You’ll have to wait through a long, blown-out gap until Friday morning, 4 September. After days of poor conditions, we finally get a reprieve. The swell is 6ft from the ENE, 8-second period, but the wind goes light and cross-off, making it clean. Energy is high (656) and it’s looking like very good surf. It’s not the long-period perfection from late August, but after the gap, it’ll feel like heaven.

Saturday morning, 6 September is the last call, but the swell drops right down to 3ft from the E, period at 8 seconds, with cross-shore wind. It’s just ordinary, not worth rushing for.

The bottom line: The prime window is the morning of Wednesday the 26th – that’s the one. Tuesday the 25th and Thursday the 27th are also very strong. After that, don’t bother until Friday the 4th of September.

Stay stoked, keep your eyes on the horizon, and don’t sleep on that Wednesday glass-off.

Rusty.

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