Bamburgh Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this stretch of coastline is looking proper flat for a long, long while. We’ve got a bit of a wait on our hands, so don’t be in a rush to wax up just yet.

The first couple of days, Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th, are a total write-off. Swell’s barely a ripple at 0.2m, and even though the wind’s blowing offshore, there’s just nothing to push around. You’d be paddling for nothing but a tan.

Then we get a tiny pulse on Wednesday the 16th—swell bumps up to 1.3m, but the period is a weak 7 seconds. It’s short-period slop, and the energy reading is weak (271) and then (235) in the arvo. If you’re desperate, you might find a crumbly little wave, but it’s marginal and only for the keenest. The afternoon goes glassy, so it’ll look pretty, but it’s still ordinary.

From Thursday the 17th right through to Saturday the 26th, it’s basically a desert. We’re looking at swell heights mostly under 0.5m, with energy readings dropping into single digits and weak territory (as low as 1). Offshore winds will keep the surface clean, but there’s no power behind any of it. It’s a proper flat spell, and you’d be better off doing anything else.

There is one glimmer—a bigger pulse shows up on Monday the 28th. Swell pushes to 1.5m, with energy picking up to 320 (moderate). But here’s the kicker: the wind is blowing onshore from the NNE, and the period is a short 8 seconds. That’s not going to be pretty. The break at Bamburgh is fairly exposed to that northerly direction, so it’ll be lumpy and messy. Not worth the drive unless you’re a glutton for punishment. The afternoon drops to 1.4m and energy (268), but it’s still onshore.

Then Tuesday the 29th actually offers the best of a bad bunch. The swell settles to 0.9m, period still short at 8 seconds, and the wind goes light, with the afternoon turning glassy. Energy is moderate at 165 and then 167. It’s surfable—clean, lined up a bit, but honestly it’s just very ordinary. Not a standout by any stretch, but if you’re jonesing, that Tuesday afternoon is your best bet in this whole 16-day window.

For a beginner, the 1.5m on Monday the 28th is getting up there, but the quality is so poor it won’t matter. Any day with waves over 1.3m is going to be compromised by the onshore or short-period nature.

One thing worth noting: the water temp is 14° at Bamburgh when we first see rideable conditions, which is about normal for this time of year. No surprises there.

So, save the wax for that Tuesday the 29th afternoon. It’s not going to be epic, but it’s the only real surf in the whole run. Keep the expectations low, and you might grab a few soft ones.

Rusty out.

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