Chirere Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s talk about Chirere for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, mate, it’s a rough stretch. The forecast is pretty bleak for most of the 16 days, with a lot of small, weak, and messy conditions. The swell is mostly short-period, around 6 seconds, which means the waves are gonna be fat and gutless. The water’s a warm 80°, which is average for the time of year, so you’ll be comfortable in boardies.

The first real chance of anything decent doesn’t show up until Thursday the 23rd of July. Thursday morning there’s a bit of a pulse – a 5ft swell from the ENE with a 7-second period, and the combined wave energy hits 315 (moderate energy). The wind is light and cross-offshore, so the surface should be clean. It’s a reef break, so it’ll handle that short period better than a beach, but the waves will still be a bit lumpy. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best on offer in the first week. The crowd factor is “sometimes,” so you might have a few out, but nothing to worry about.

Then we slide into a long, frustrating gap. From the 24th through to the 29th, it’s a whole lot of nothing – small, cross-shore slop and choppy afternoons. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, turning everything into a mess. A few mornings have light cross-off winds, but the swell is just too small and weak to get excited about. It’s a proper dry spell.

The next standout rolls around a week later, on Thursday the 30th of July. Another morning session with a cleaner 5ft swell from the ENE, period at 7 seconds, and the energy jumps to 362 (moderate energy). Again, light cross-off wind will have it looking glassy and clean. This is probably the pick of the entire 16-day window. The swell direction is a bit off the ideal from the NNE, but it’s still going to wrap in okay. The afternoons get ruined by an onshore breeze, so get on it early.

After that, it’s back to the same old story – small, weak, and choppy through to the 5th of August. The energy levels drop right off, with most readings under 200. The 3rd of August Monday morning has a brief spike with 5ft swell and 306 energy, but the wind is a moderate cross-off, not as clean as the previous windows. It’s a marginal call, better than nothing, but not a standout.

If you’re a beginner, those 5ft days at Chirere are on the outer edge of your comfort zone, especially with the short period. For the experienced crew, it’s a reef that’ll offer some fun little walls on those cleaner mornings. The short period means the waves won’t have much push, but the reef will help focus the energy.

Bottom line: there are two decent windows to get a paddle – the 23rd morning and the 30th morning. Both are promising but not classic. The rest of the 16 days is a write-off. Don’t hold your breath for the second week, just keep an eye on the charts.

Rusty.

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