Croyde Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for us here. To be straight with you, it’s a quiet stretch ahead. The first real week or so is pretty much a write-off – we’re looking at tiny, weak swells and a lot of onshore wind messing things up. The only spot we’ve got in the frame is Croyde Reef, a reef break for the advanced crew, but it’s not exactly firing.

The water’s sitting at 65°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year (anomaly of 4°), so at least you won’t need a thick wetsuit.

We kick off Sunday, July 19th, but honestly, don’t bother. The morning’s got a tiny 0.3 ft swell from the west with a bit of period, but the wind is a gentle offshore from the ESE, making it clean – but there’s just no energy, only a combined swell energy of (4). By the afternoon, the wind turns cross-onshore from the NNW and it’s choppy. Monday the 20th isn’t any better; a 0.7 ft west swell with an onshore cross-off in the morning that’s clean, but again, no power (10). The whole first week is like this – tiny, weak, and mostly choppy.

We get a tease on Thursday morning, July 24th, with glassy conditions and a 0.7 ft west swell, but the period is short at 8 seconds and the energy is just (9). It’s clean, but there’s nothing to actually ride.

The first sign of any real size doesn’t show up until Sunday, July 26th. The swell jumps to 5 ft from the west with a period of 6 seconds. That’s a short-period wind swell, and the combined energy hits a moderate (208). Problem is, the wind is a fresh cross-onshore from the WNW at 19 mph, making it lumpy and poor. This carries into Monday the 27th with similar conditions – 5 ft west swell, (229) energy, but the wind (NNW 16 mph) is still cross-onshore and choppy. This is too big for beginners and not clean enough for anyone. At a beach-and-reef setup like this, with that much wind and poor quality, it might actually look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

By Tuesday, July 28th, the swell drops a bit to 4 ft from the WNW with a period of 6 seconds and energy at (147). The wind is a fresh cross-shore from the NNW at 19 mph, leaving a lumpy cross-chop. Still not good.

After that, it fades back to tiny, weak surf through the rest of the month and into early August. There’s a brief moment on Saturday, August 1st, with a 3 ft swell from the NNW (69 energy), but the cross-onshore wind kills it. The last few days show nothing but 0.7 ft waves. So, the standout session – if you can call it that – is probably the biggest day on July 26th, but the wind makes it unsurfable. Honestly, for the next 16 days, there isn’t a single window that I’d say is worth paddling out for.

Rusty.

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