Caerhays Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s cookin’ for Caerhays over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you: it’s a quiet stretch.

Overall, the pattern is one of persistent tiny, weak swell. For the entire 16-day window, wave heights barely top 0.6 ft. The combined swell energy is almost always in the low double digits or single digits (values between 2 and 15), which is weak wave energy. There’s a brief bump around July 10th where energy climbs to 75 (still moderate-low), but the swell is short-period junk. This is a lean period for paddling, plain and simple.

For the first week, from Saturday July 4th right through to Thursday July 9th, we’ve got practically nothing. Swell heights of 0.3 ft to 0.6 ft, periods all over the place but with no power. Winds are generally cross-off or light, so the water will look clean, but there’s no wave to ride. A few glassy moments on the 8th afternoon (S 3 mph), but with a 0.3 ft, 10-second swell directing zero energy here, it’s a lake. Honestly, this stretch is a write-off for surf.

The only flicker of potential comes on Friday July 10th. The swell picks up a little, reaching 2 ft in the morning and 4 ft by the afternoon. The direction is from the ESE, period is a short and weak 4-5 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 21 in the morning and 75 in the afternoon. However, the wind is a strong, cross-shore easterly at 25 mph in the morning and 22 mph in the afternoon. That’s going to chop things up badly. For a break that’s best with a clean SSW swell, this is a mess. The setup here would honestly be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing that day.

After that, from Saturday July 11th onward, it's back to tiny waves. Swell heights drop to 0.3 ft or 0.6 ft, and energy levels sink back to the single digits and low teens. Winds are mostly cross-off or offshore, so conditions will be clean, but there’s no swell to work with. The period on some of these pulses is long – up to 19-21 seconds – but when the height is 0.3 ft, it’s just a long-period flatness.

There are no standout days in this outlook. The best on offer, if you can call it that, is the afternoon of Friday July 10th at Caerhays. Swell will be 4 ft from the ESE, but with a messy cross-shore breeze at 22 mph and a short period, it’s going to be lumpy and poor quality. If you’re desperate, you might find a closeout. For everyone else, give it a miss. The rest of the period is a very long, quiet gap with no decent surf recommendations.

Rusty.

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