Caerhays Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this forecast for the Caerhays area is a tough one. We’ve got a long, dry spell coming up.

Looking at the whole 16-day window, there’s basically nothing to get excited about. The first surf recommendation doesn’t kick in until Wednesday, the 9th of September, and even then it’s a real struggle. From that point, we’re looking at a solid stretch of days with no decent surf on offer. The models are showing a gap that runs right through until the end of the forecast on the 24th of September, with every single session rated as poor surf conditions. That’s a long, quiet run for this area.

Caerhays is the only spot in the frame, and it’s a heartbreaking one. It’s inconsistent here, and this forecast proves it. The first few days are a write-off. On Wednesday morning the 9th, we’ve got a tiny 1ft SW swell with a weak 8-second period and low energy (25). The wind is a cross-off from the NW at 12 mph, which keeps it clean, but there’s just no push. The afternoon bumps up to 3ft from the WSW, but the energy is still rubbish (117) and it’s the same story. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing to write home about.

Thursday the 10th is a complete mess. Onshore winds from the SSW pick up to 16-22 mph, and the swell is a pathetic 0.7ft to 3ft with a period that drops to just 4 seconds – that’s pure wind chop. It’s choppy and lumpy, not worth paddling out for.

The pattern continues: Friday the 11th through Tuesday the 15th offers tiny, weak swells with poor wind directions. The energy is almost non-existent, with values like 13, 12, and 6. The wind is mostly cross-on or cross-off, but the swell is just too small to do anything with. There’s a 3ft ESE swell on the 20th and 21st of September, but the period is a short 4-5 seconds and the wind is cross or cross-on, making it a messy, weak affair.

The long-range stuff, from the 22nd to the 24th of September, is no better. The wind is a strong, fresh cross-shore from the east at 19-22 mph, and the swell is tiny – 0.3ft to 0.7ft. Even when the swell period gets up to 17 seconds on the 22nd, it’s for a 0.3ft swell, which is nothing. The energy is in the low 20s and teens. The offshore wind on the 18th and 19th is a tease, but the swell is a miserable 0.3ft to 0.7ft.

Honestly, there’s no standout here. Nothing. The best on offer, and I use that term loosely, would be the Wednesday morning the 9th of September. The wind is clean, cross-off from the NW, but with a 1ft, 8-second swell and 25 energy, you’re looking at a micro-session on a longboard, at best. It’s not a recommendation, it’s a desperation move. For the rest of the period, the setup is so poor with weak, short-period swell and onshore or strong cross-shore winds, that it looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. But even then, there’s no wind strength for that either.

It’s a blank run. That’s the reality of it for this area. Forecasts can change, but for now, leave the boards at home.

Rusty

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