Circoletto (Rome) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, looking at the Rome stretch for the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you: it’s looking pretty bleak for the paddlers. This is one of those stretches where the ocean just ain't playing ball for a surfboard.

From now through to the 17th of August, you're looking at a major dry spell. There's barely a ripple on offer, with the combined wave energy sitting at a pathetic 0 to 4 (weak). We're talking tiny, wind-chopped slop or flat conditions, with a lot of cross-onshore winds messing things up. The swell periods are down around 3 to 4 seconds, which is just wind slop, not surf. You’d be better off finding a swimming pool.

For the first break we can even talk about, Circoletto (Rome), the water temp is at 85°, which is a whopping 6° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual, you’ll be sweating in your wetsuit.

We then hit a gap of clean conditions from the 16th into the 17th, but with no swell to ride.

Things start to look slightly less hopeless around Tuesday the 18th of August. We get a pulse of swell, the highest of the whole outlook, coming in at 2 ft from the WSW. The energy climbs to 30 (moderate) and the period stretches to 5 seconds. It's still not great, but it’s something. The morning of the 18th is the pick, with a clean 2 ft from the WSW with a light breeze. The problem is, by the afternoon the cross-onshore wind kicks back up and turns it into a crumbly mess.

The morning of Wednesday the 19th of August also offers a small window, with a clean 2 ft from the west and a slight air, but the energy is only 22.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. From the 20th through to the 25th, the energy sinks back to zero or teens, with most sessions showing "poor surf conditions". There’s a glassy moment on the afternoon of the 23rd of August with a tiny 0.3 ft from the SW, but it’s barely a ripple – more of a pond paddle than a surf.

Honestly, for the entire 16-day run, there isn't a single standout. The only real chance to get wet without hating yourself is the morning of Tuesday the 18th of August. The swell direction is WSW, and the guide says this spot loves a SSW swell, so it’s not matching up perfectly. The waves will be small, weak, and the break is inconsistent and for advanced surfers only, so it’s not a beginner-friendly spot at all. If you’ve got a kite, the afternoon cross-onshore winds and small chop might actually be more fun than trying to paddle this stuff.

Stay patient, folks. It’s a flat run for Rome.

- Rusty

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