Bristol Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get straight into it. We're looking at a pretty frustrating stretch for Bristol. The forecast is delivering a near-constant supply of northerly wind, and almost every session is tagged with a cross-onshore wind state. That's going to leave the surface chopped up and messy, making it hard to find a decent wave. Water temp is sitting at 74°F which is about a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

The trouble starts on Monday the 10th and just keeps going. We get a steady 3ft to 4ft of swell from the north, but with a short period around 6-8 seconds, it's weak, disorganized stuff. The combined energy of all swells directed here (116) confirms we're looking at weak wave energy all week. That onshore wind at 12-19 mph kills any hope of a clean face. By Saturday the 15th, the swell picks up a bit to 4ft, and the energy hits 215 for moderate energy, but it's still a fresh cross-onshore breeze. This setup is honestly more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing—for us wave riders, it’s a write-off.

Moving into the second week, from Tuesday the 18th onwards, the swell period starts to nudge up to 9 seconds, which is a slight improvement. The heights stay around 3ft to 4ft from the north. The combined energy (166) is still only in the moderate range, but the big killer remains the wind. It’s relentless cross-onshore from the north. On Wednesday the 19th morning, the wind briefly turns onshore, but that won't help the quality. Sunday the 24th tries to throw a 4ft wave with a 7-second period, but the wind hasn’t learned any new tricks. The very last entries on Tuesday the 25th show a jump to 5ft to 5ft (energy hits 328, moderate to strong), but again, it comes with a moderate cross-onshore breeze. The period is only 7 seconds, so it’s going to be a lumpy, unappealing mess.

There are no standout days here, no window of clean, glassy conditions. The combination of persistent onshore wind and short-period swell leaves this 16-day window a total bust. Unfortunately, this is one of those periods where you're better off leaving the board in the car. If the wind ever swings offshore, the 5ft swell on the 25th *could* become interesting, but as it stands, it's poor surf from start to finish.

- Rusty

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