Bristol Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up for us. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so I’ll walk you through it.

Right off the bat, we’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions. From Thursday the 10th right through to Monday the 21st, it’s a write-off. The wind is mostly a cross-onshore affair, blowing in the 12-19 mph range, and that’s just chewing up the waves. The swell that’s showing is mostly short-period junk, under 8 seconds, and it’s getting torn apart. There’s a bit of energy in the water – the combined energy hits a moderate 303 on Saturday the 12th – but with the wind howling, it’s just messy. For any of you thinking about a paddle, forget it; this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The glimmer of hope shows up on Sunday the 13th afternoon. We get a moment of glassy conditions with the wind dropping to zero from the ESE. The swell is a small 3 ft from the N, with a combined energy of 175 (moderate). It’s surfable, but it’s ordinary. Not a standout, just a brief, clean window in an otherwise bleak run. The water temp is about average for this time of year.

After that, things go quiet and messy again until we get to the real prize. Mark your calendars for Tuesday the 22nd of September. That’s the one. Bristol is a reef break, and it’s consistent, with an optimum swell from the NNW. On Tuesday morning, we’ve got a 3 ft swell from the NNW, with a very long period of 14 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is a strong 616, so there’s plenty of juice. The wind is light from the NW at 6 mph, just a light cross-shore, meaning it should be clean. This is the best on offer, no doubt. Swell size is small enough for intermediates, but the long period will make it sucky and lined up – best on the reef. The only downside is the crowds are listed as *often*, so expect a few familiar faces in the water.

Tuesday afternoon continues the trend with a 3 ft swell from the NNW, still a long 13-second period, and combined energy of 555. The wind is light from the NNE at 6 mph, straight offshore, so it’ll be glassy. This is a solid day of surfing.

Wednesday the 23rd morning is still worth a look. 3 ft from the NNW, period of 11 seconds, combined energy of 400 (moderate-strong). The wind is light cross-onshore from the N at 6 mph, so still manageable. It’s not as good as Tuesday, but it’s a nice leftover.

Later on Wednesday afternoon and through to Thursday the 24th, the swell bumps up to 4-5 ft from the N, but the period drops to 8 seconds. The wind freshens and turns cross-onshore again, so it gets lumpy and poor. On Friday the 25th morning, we get a 3 ft from the NNW with a very long 15-second period, combined energy of 538, but the wind is a gentle cross-onshore, so the quality will be lacking. The swell is there, but the wind ruins it.

So, the takeaway: the first 12 days are mostly a bust, with only a tiny window of glassy surf on the 13th afternoon. The real standout is Tuesday the 22nd – that’s your call. Get on it. After that, it fades.

Stay safe, keep your eyes on the horizon, and don’t be a donkey in the lineup.

Rusty

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