Zampa (Inside) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the coming weeks.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a window of decent surf, but it’s not without its headaches. The first real action kicks off on Wednesday morning, August 5th, at Zampa (Inside). We’re looking at a solid 6 ft east swell rolling in with a very long 17-second period. That’s proper groundswell, lads. The water is sitting at 87°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – feels like a bit of tropical bathwater. The wind is a light, 9 mph north-easterly, coming cross-offshore, which is going to keep things clean. The combined energy is pumping at 1682, so there’s some decent grunt behind it. The catch? It’s a reef break, it’s fairly consistent, and it’s an intermediate-plus wave. The optimum swell direction is north, so this east swell isn’t perfect, but it’s definitely surfable. The morning is the standout, because by Wednesday afternoon the wind swings to the north-north-east and jumps to 19 mph, turning it lumpy and cross-chop. That afternoon session is a write-off.

Thursday the 6th is a complete no-go. The wind is howling out of the north at 28 mph in the morning, and the swell is up to 10 ft – that’s a lot of power, but the cross-chop and wind will make it a washing machine. By the afternoon, it’s even worse: 12 ft swell with a 31 mph north wind. Hard pass for paddle surfing.

Then we get to Friday the 7th, and things go absolutely mental, but not in a good way. The swell is predicted to be too big for the break. We’re talking 30 ft at 12 seconds out of the north-north-west in the morning, with a violent storm force wind of 65 mph. The combined energy is a staggering 33846. This is a hurricane-force mess. The afternoon is even worse. If you’re a kite surfer, this might look interesting, but for a paddle surfer? Forget it. This is dangerous.

After that, we hit a long, dry stretch. From Saturday the 8th all the way through to Monday the 17th, the conditions are either blown out, too small, or just plain ugly. There are a few mornings with clean, offshore winds, like Saturday the 8th and Tuesday the 18th, but the swell is either non-existent or tiny – 1 ft to 3 ft with very weak energy. It’s a frustrating gap of about 8 to 9 days where you’d be better off staying home.

The first sign of life comes back on Wednesday morning, August 19th. We’ve got a 2 ft east swell with a 10-second period, a gentle breeze out of the east at 9 mph, and the conditions are clean. The combined energy is only 53, so it’s weak, but it’s surfable. The break is Zampa (Inside) again. A few of the morning sessions from the 19th through the 20th are worth a paddle if you’re desperate, but don’t expect anything exciting.

So, to sum it up: your best bet is the Wednesday morning, August 5th session at Zampa (Inside). It’s the only true standout in the whole 16-day window, with clean conditions, a solid groundswell, and that warm water. Everything else is either too big, too windy, or too small. The forecast is pretty reliable for the first week, but the second week is a bit of a long shot – it’s not looking good, but you never know.

Rusty.

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