Bude Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mates, Rusty here. Grab a brew and let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Bude. I’ll be straight with you—this isn’t the most exciting 16-day window I’ve seen. The guidance gives Bude a solid 4/5 rating, but the reality check from the forecast shows we’ve got a big, long gap of nothing worth paddling out for.

The overall pattern is flat and frustrating. From now until the end of July, the swell is tiny, mostly under 2 ft, and the period is short, around 4 to 5 seconds. That’s just wind chop, not real surf. The combined energy is weak, barely cracking 30 or 40 (combined energy of all swells directed here: 19 to 47). The wind is all over the place, sometimes cross-off, sometimes cross, but the swell just isn’t there. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

We’ve got a solid week of nothing. From Sunday the 19th right through to Saturday the 25th, the best swell height is 3 ft, and that’s on Wednesday morning with a 5-second period and a moderate cross-shore. It’s not worth getting wet for. The wave comment is “poor surf conditions” all the way, and the score is a flat zero. That’s a long, dry spell.

Things start to look a little more interesting on the 28th of July. Tuesday morning shows a jump in swell height to 5 ft from the NNW, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy jumps up to 422 (combined energy of all swells directed here: 422), which is moderate wave energy. That’s a real pulse of energy. But the wind is a cross-on from the NW at 9 mph, so it’ll be a bit choppy and bumpy. It’s not a standout, but it’s the first wave of the window. The afternoon drops to 5 ft, period 7 seconds, and the energy is still decent at 280, but the wind picks up to 12 mph from the WNW, also cross-on. It’s better than the flat spell, but far from perfect.

The best on offer in this whole outlook is that Tuesday the 28th morning. The swell is 5 ft from the NNW, which is a fun size for intermediate surfers. Beginners might find it a bit much, but it’s manageable. The period is 7 seconds, so it’s a short-period local windswell, not a groundswell. It’ll be a bit lumpy thanks to the cross-on wind. That’s the only real highlight in the whole 16 days.

Looking further ahead, the 31st of July and the 1st of August show some strong cross-off winds from the ESE, which would clean things up, but the swell direction is from the W, which is fine for Bude, but the heights are small (2 ft to 3 ft) and the period is short. The energy is moderate (combined energy of all swells directed here: 83 to 110), but it’s not enough to get excited about. The wind is strong on the 31st afternoon, 25 mph, which is a stiff breeze, and that’s a red flag for messy conditions.

After that, into the first week of August, the swell is a bit more consistent, with heights around 2 ft to 4 ft, but the wind is onshore or cross-on from the SW and WSW, and it’s often rainy. The surf will be lumpy and choppy. Not a recommended session.

So, to sum it up: there’s a big, dry gap right now through to the 27th. The only real day to circle on the calendar is Tuesday the 28th of July for a morning session. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best we’ve got. The rest of the window is a write-off for decent waves. Hang tight, and maybe the forecast will change.

Rusty.

Read more