Caerhays Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s cut straight to it. Looking at the whole 16-day window, I’ll be honest, it’s a tough one for Caerhays. The guidance tells me this spot is inconsistent and the data backs that up. We’re staring down a long stretch of flat, poor surf conditions that just doesn't let up. The first real chance of anything worth paddling out for doesn't arrive until well into the second week.

The water is sitting at a very warm 67°F, which is a massive 5°F warmer than average for this time of year. That’s a notable anomaly, but it won’t help the waves.

We kick off Thursday the 30th of July with absolutely nothing. The swell is a pathetic 0.3 ft with a combined energy of just 3. That’s like a pond. This flat, poor spell drags on through the end of July and the entire first week of August. There’s a brief moment on Monday the 3rd of August where the wind goes glassy, but the swell is still only 0.7 ft with an energy of 8. Not surfable. The pattern remains the same: tiny windswell, poor conditions, and very low energy readings. It’s a real dry spell.

The first glimmer of something different comes on Friday the 7th of August. The afternoon shows a sudden spike to an 8 ft swell from the ESE, but it’s a short-period 7 seconds and the wind is a fresh cross-onshore at 22 mph. The combined energy hits 648, which is strong, but the conditions are described as lumpy and the surf quality is poor. That’s a lot of water moving but it’s going to be a messy, blown-out wall. For most surfers, that’s a pass. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Following that, the swell drops back down to nothing again. The second week from the 8th of August onward is a series of tiny, low-energy swells with poor winds. The highlight, if you can call it that, is the morning of Thursday the 13th of August. We get a 0.3 ft swell from the west with a gentle offshore wind from the NNW at 9 mph. The period is 10 seconds. It’s clean, but it’s still only 0.3 ft. The combined energy is a measly 3. By the afternoon the swell lifts to 3 ft from the ESE with a 5 second period and a cross-offshore wind, but the energy is only 54. It’s rideable for a log, but far from a standout.

Truth is, the only real standout in this entire forecast is the Friday the 7th of August afternoon pulse, but it’s only for the brave or the experts. The 8 ft wave height is well into the big stuff for beginners, and with that onshore wind, it’s a wild, messy ocean. Don’t expect any clean, lined-up waves.

For the rest of the 16 days, it’s a desert. If you’re desperate, the cleanest, smallest option is that Thursday the 13th of August morning, but you’ll be fighting for a ripple. The forecast can change, but right now, this looks like a classic blank run for the area.

Rusty.

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