Caerhays Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin' for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: it’s a tough run. We’re lookin’ at a long, flat spell for Caerhays. From now, right through the end of July and into the first few days of August, it’s pretty much a write-off. The swell is tiny, rarely pushin’ past 0.7 ft, and the combined energy is laughably low – we're talkin' single digits and low double digits (4 to 9). You’ll see a bit of cross-off wind here and there, which keeps the surface clean, but with no wave to ride, it doesn’t matter. There’s a stretch from the 24th of July all the way to the 1st of August where there’s just nothin’ worth paddlin’ out for.

Now, we finally see a pulse of energy arrive around the 2nd of August. The swell starts to build through the day, hittin’ 4 ft by Sunday morning from the SW, with a short, weak period of 6 seconds. The combined energy finally climbs into three digits (134), but the wind is a messy cross-shore, so it’s gonna be lumpy. By Sunday afternoon, the swell bumps up to 5 ft from the SW, still with a poor 6-second period, and energy at 152. Still, the wind is cross-shore, so it’s not the cleanest. This is still a poor surf condition, and honestly, with that short-period windswell and cross-shore breeze, this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.

The real standout, and the only time I’d get excited, is Tuesday the 4th of August. The morning brings a surprise: glassy conditions with the wind swingin’ to the WNW at only 3 mph. The swell is 3 ft from the W, with a solid 7-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 163 – that’s the most juice we see the whole forecast. The report even says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” which I’ll take as a win after this drought. That’s the morning to be on the water. It’s not a big swell, around waist to chest high, but it’ll be clean and fun on a longboard. The offshore wind for Caerhays is from the N, and the swell is from the W, so it’s not a perfect match, but the glassy conditions will make up for it.

After that, it fades fast. The rest of the second week is a dribble of small, weak swell with onshore and cross-shore winds. By the 7th and 8th of August, we’re back to near flatness.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a total bust. The only real chance is the morning of Tuesday the 4th of August. Keep an eye on it, but don’t hold your breath on the long-range stuff.

Rusty.

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