Barvas (Lewis) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next 16 days. It’s a bit of a wild ride, to be honest, so strap in.

The pattern starts off rough and stays that way for a good long stretch. We’re looking at a lot of messy, blown-out conditions with some serious size rolling in, but the wind is just not playing ball. For the first week, from the 16th right through most of the 23rd, it’s a write-off. The wind is onshore or cross-onshore and strong, with that combined swell energy reading high at times – we see 12470 (strong to very strong wave energy) on the afternoon of the 17th with a 18 ft swell, but it’s just a mess. Don’t bother paddling out.

Now, the standout window comes later. It’s a long wait, but it looks worth it. The best on offer is Barvas (Lewis) on Wednesday the 23rd of September. We’ve got a clean, gentle offshore wind from the ESE in the afternoon, with an 8 ft swell out of the WNW. That’s a solid groundswell with a period of 12 seconds, so it’ll have some proper push and shape. The wave energy is moderate at 1705, and conditions are described as excellent for experienced surfers. This will be a proper session if you’ve got the skills. Water temperature is about average for this time of year, so a decent 5/3mm suit will do.

The other one to circle is Friday the 25th of September. Again at Barvas, we see a cleaner picture in the morning with a moderate offshore wind from the ESE and a 13 ft WNW swell. Now, the data does flag that this size might be a bit too big for the break, so this is definitely for experts only. The combined energy is high at 3576, but the line-up might be a bit heavy and full-on. The afternoon cleans up even more with a gentle cross-offshore breeze and an 12 ft NW swell, but again, it’s big. If you’re keen on big waves, this is your window. Crowds are rare here, so you’ll have plenty of room.

For the days either side, we’ve got some smaller, cleaner windows but nothing that lights up. The 26th and 27th see the swell drop off and the wind turns cross-shore again, making things lumpy. The very end of the month into the 1st of October sees tiny, weak 2 ft to 3 ft swells with next to no energy (126 to 162), so it’s just small and ordinary. Hold out for the 23rd and the 25th – that’s where the magic is.

Rusty.

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