Bristol Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it.

The next couple of days are pretty grim around here. We’ve got some swell, sure, but it’s junky and mostly cross-onshore, and honestly, not worth paddling out for. We’re looking at a real dry spell until things start to wake up later in the month.

Sunday the 13th, there’s a bit of waist-high stuff, around 4 to 4 feet, but the morning is cross-onshore and choppy. The afternoon glass is a bonus – the wind dies right off and it’s clean – but the waves are still underwhelming. You could get a few, but it’s not going to be one for the memory bank.

Monday and Tuesday drop right off, down to 2 feet. Not doing anything. The week stays flat with just wind and chop, no real push. If you’re a beginner, you’re not missing anything – it’s not even worth getting the board wet.

Thursday the 17th sees the swell start to pick back up, but it’s lumpy and cross-onshore with a fresh breeze. 4 to 5 feet, but it’s all over the place. This isn’t clean surf; it’s a battle. The energy is building though – we go from 175 up to 255 in the afternoon, so there’s some push there, but the wind ruins it.

Then Friday and Saturday the 18th and 19th, we get more size – 4 to 5 feet – but it’s still cross-onshore and chopped up. Moderate breeze, not doing anyone any favors. If you’re desperate, the afternoon on Friday is a bit cleaner than the morning but still not great.

Here’s where it gets interesting. Sunday the 20th the swell dips but the period jumps up to 13-14 seconds. That long-period groundswell is pushing in, but it’s still crossed up. Monday the 21st is when it starts to turn on. The swell is around 4 feet in the afternoon, the period is 15 seconds, and the energy is up there – 758 combined. That’s proper groundswell. The problem is the wind is cross-shore, so it’s not perfect, but it’s head-and-shoulders above anything we’ve seen. This is the standout of the whole run.

Tuesday and Wednesday the 22nd and 23rd keep that long-period swell going – 13-14 seconds – but it’s cross-onshore again. Still, with that much period, there’s some real shape to it. The energy drops but it’s still well over 300, so there’s plenty of water moving. It’s not perfect, but it’s surfable.

Thursday the 24th, the morning has that “marginal” tag – questionable tide conditions, light cross-shore wind. It’s around 3 feet with a 13-second period. Could be okay in the right spot, but it’s a gamble.

Then we hit another lull. Friday the 25th is small and weak. Saturday the 26th has a pulse of energy – 293 in the morning, and the period drops to a short 7 seconds, which is junky. Not a good look.

But here’s the real late-game play. Sunday the 27th and Monday the 28th. The swell is back up to 4 feet, the period is 11-13 seconds, and the energy is strong – 536 on Sunday morning. The wind is onshore, which is a bummer, but that’s a lot of clean, long-period push. If the wind swings at all, that could be the best surf of the whole two weeks. It’s a week out, so don’t book the day off yet, but it’s the one to keep an eye on.

As for the spot itself, Bristol is a reef break, fairly exposed, and consistent. It likes that NNW swell direction, which is exactly what we’re getting. But the crowds are often there, so if you go when it’s good, expect some company.

Water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, nothing weird going on there.

So, bottom line – the next week and a half is mostly a scratch-fest. If you can hold out, Monday the 21st and then that Sunday the 27th into Monday the 28th look like the pick of the bunch. Not perfect, but with that long-period groundswell, there’s definitely some waves to be had.

Stay patient.

Rusty

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