Caerhays Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then. Let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Caerhays. I won’t beat around the bush, lads—this is a tough one. The whole 16-day window is a flat spell. There’s just no energy pushing in that’s worth a paddle. The combined swell energy barely gets out of the double digits, peaking at a weak 76 (moderate wave energy) right at the very end, but even then it’s messy. The water is sitting at 64°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least it’s comfortable for a dip without a board.

We kick off Sunday the 13th with some small SW swell, only 1 ft, but it’s wrapped in a cross-on 12 mph breeze—choppy and poor. That theme runs through the whole first week. Monday and Tuesday are similar: tiny to 2 ft, with winds swapping from cross-on to cross-off but the swell just isn’t there. Wednesday the 16th shows a cleaner picture with cross-off winds from the NW, but the swell is still a meagre 1.0 ft and the energy is weak (31). You could probably float a leaf on it, but not a surfboard.

Thursday the 17th sees a fresh 19 mph WNW cross-off and a tiny 1 ft SW swell—clean but powerless. Friday the 18th offers a brief flicker of hope with a long-period 14 second groundswell from the WSW, but the height is a pathetic 0.7 ft and the energy is weak (29). It’s one of those days where the ocean looks clean from the car park but delivers nothing when you’re out there.

The weekend of the 19th and 20th is much the same. Saturday has a sloppy 2 ft SW swell with a fresh cross-shore wind—lumpy chop. Sunday the 20th turns glassy in the morning with a light westerly, but the swell is down to 0.3 ft. You could count the ripples. Monday the 21st is more of the same—tiny and weak.

It’s not until Saturday the 25th of September that we see a slight pulse of more significant swell, hitting 3 ft from the ESE with a short 6 second period. The combined energy reaches 76—still weak, but the biggest in the whole period. Problem is, it’s a beach/reef setup at Caerhays and the wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-shore, creating lumpy, cross-chop conditions. That setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Not worth the effort for a clean wave.

After that, it fades again into tiny leftovers for the final few days, mostly 0.3 ft and clean but totally flat.

Honest truth? There are no good surf options in this 16-day window. The whole stretch is a blank run. Caerhays can be inconsistent, and this is one of those times. Don’t sweat it—forecasts can change, and it tends not to stay this poor for long. But for now, leave the board at home.

Rusty.

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