Circoletto (Rome) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up for us around Rome. I gotta be straight with you – it's a lean stretch. The pattern is flat and uninspiring for the most part, with a whole lot of nothing on offer. There's a tiny glimmer of hope way out in the second week, but patience is the name of the game.

For the first week, from Sunday the 9th right through to the end of that week, it's pretty much a write-off. We're looking at wave heights barely cracking 1 ft, with combined wave energy that’s almost non-existent, just single digits (2-9). The wind is all over the shop, mostly cross-onshore or onshore, so even if there was a bump, it would be a mess. You'll see a day here or there with a light offshore in the morning, like Tuesday the 12th or Thursday the 14th, but there's just no swell to work with. The water is running much warmer than normal for this time of year, clocking in at 84°, which is a solid 6° above the average – that’s a notable shift.

The situation carries on into the second week with more tiny, weak swells. Monday the 18th of August finally shows a little pulse of life. The morning is glassy with an easterly breeze and the swell picks up to 2 ft from the WSW, but that's only 21 on the energy scale, still weak. It's a tease, but the winds go ugly onshore in the afternoon, so the window is tight.

The Real Standout - Mark Your Calendar

Now, if you're desperate for a paddle, your only real shot comes on Wednesday the 19th of August. The morning at Circoletto (Rome) sees the swell bump up to 4 ft from the West. The combined energy finally hits a moderate level (114), so there's some actual push behind it. The wind is a light NNE offshore at 6 mph, which should keep the surface clean. The swell period is a short 6 seconds, so it'll be a bit crumbly and not holding together perfectly, but it's the best we’ve got by a long shot. That size will be too much for beginners, but for the advanced crew, it's the only window that looks worth getting wet for. Just a heads up, Circoletto is an inconsistent spot and crowds are often a factor, so if you see a clean line-up, don't expect to have it to yourself. The afternoon turns onshore and the quality drops right off.

Other than that, Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st mornings have some clean skies and light cross-off winds, but the swell drops back to 2-2 ft with weak energy (35 and 14). It's marginal at best.

So, to sum it up: one morning of mediocre but surfable waves in the entire 16-day window. The water is unseasonably warm, but the waves just aren't cooperating. The rest of the time it's a flat, blown-out mess. For the beach and reef set-up we have, with the wind and small swell, this looks more like a kite surfer's playground than a surfer's paradise for most of the run.

Stay patient and keep an eye on the forecast – it can't stay this poor forever.

Rusty.

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