Boscombe Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s look at what’s coming up for the next couple of weeks. It’s a slow start around here, with a lot of background swell and messy wind. The first surf shows up on Sunday afternoon, the 6th of September, but it’s not much.

We’re talking about Boscombe Pier. Early on, it’s small and bumpy. The combined swell energy is weak (13) with a tiny 0.5m swell from the SE, only 4 seconds period – that’s just wind chop. The water is way warmer than normal, 4° warmer than average for this time of year, which is pretty unusual, but it doesn’t help the surf. The wind is cross-onshore, so it’s choppy. Not worth paddling out.

Monday the 7th starts with a little 0.4m SW swell, but the period is a massive 15 seconds – that’s a long-period groundswell, but it’s tiny. The energy is still low (90), and the wind is cross-shore, so it’s not clean. Later that afternoon, the swell bumps up to 1.2m from the SW, with a 13-second period, and the energy jumps to 766 (moderate wave energy), but the wind is cross-onshore and choppy, so it’s still a mess.

Tuesday the 8th brings a bit of improvement. The morning has 1.3m from the WSW, but the period is a short 6 seconds. The wind is cross-offshore, so the faces are clean. The energy is moderate (154). Still, the shape is poor. Afternoon gets even cleaner but the swell drops to 1.1m and the period is 5 seconds – weak energy (62).

Wednesday the 9th is the first day that’s actually surfable, but it’s ordinary. Morning has 1.0m WSW swell, 8-second period, and clean cross-offshore wind. The energy is 134 (moderate). The afternoon is similar, with 0.9m and clean conditions. It’s rideable, but nothing special.

From Thursday the 10th through to Sunday the 13th, it’s a mix of small, weak, and often choppy. There’s a brief moment Sunday morning, the 13th, with a 0.7m WSW swell, 7-second period, and gentle offshore wind from the NNE – that’s clean. The energy is 75 (weak). That afternoon, the wind goes glassy, but the swell is a tiny 0.7m at 4 seconds (22 energy). So, it’s flat and glassy, pretty but not surfable.

The pattern continues weak and messy into the second week. Monday the 14th has a 1.6m swell in the morning, but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. The energy is 151 (moderate). Afternoon gets bigger, 1.8m, but still onshore and lumpy. Tuesday the 15th is tiny and clean.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. On Wednesday the 16th of September, we finally get a proper standout. Boscombe Pier sees 2.5m of WSW swell, with a 7-second period in the morning and 8 seconds in the afternoon. The energy is strong: 610 in the morning and 800 in the afternoon. The wind is cross-offshore and gentle, so the waves will be clean. This is solid, punchy surf – the kind that gets the heart rate up. But, at 2.5m, this is only for experienced surfers. Beginners should sit this one out. The swell is a bit short-period, so it won’t be the smoothest ride, but there’ll be plenty of power.

After that, Thursday the 17th drops back to 1.6m, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s messy again. Friday the 18th has 2.0m in the morning and 2.5m in the afternoon, but it’s onshore and cross-onshore, so it’s chopped up and poor. The energy is moderate to strong (305 to 603), but the wind ruins it. Saturday the 19th is clean but small (1.1m) and ordinary. The last few days into the 21st are tiny and weak.

The best bet in the whole 16-day window is without a doubt Wednesday, the 16th of September. The 2.5m swell, clean cross-offshore wind, and strong energy (800) make it the one to aim for. Expect crowds, as this spot can get busy. The swell direction is WSW, which is off the optimum SSW direction for this break, but the size and clean conditions still make it the standout.

Alright, that’s the long and short of it. The first week is mostly a write-off, but mid-month delivers a decent day.

- Rusty

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