Croyde Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what North Devon's Croyde has got cookin' for us over the next couple of weeks. We're looking at a bit of a mixed bag to be honest, but there's a couple of moments where it could all line up.

Right off the bat, through the rest of this week, it’s proper grim. Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st are just messy. We've got a 5 ft cross-on windswell with only a 7-second period on Thursday, and the wind is honking from the WNW at 19 mph. The water is notably warm, running at 66°F which is 4°F warmer than usual for this time of year, but you won't be enjoying it with that chop. The wave energy is weak to moderate (367), but it's all blown out. That continues into Friday with a smaller 2 ft swell and cross-shore winds. It's all just lumpy, choppy, and a write-off.

The weekend is a flat spell. Saturday the 22nd morning gives a tiny glimmer with a 1 ft, 10-second swell and a light offshore from the ENE, but with only 54 in combined energy, it's just not enough to get excited about. Saturday afternoon and all of Sunday the 23rd, Monday the 24th, and Tuesday the 25th are near flat to flat, with energy dropping into the teens and single digits. Don't bother. This is a proper dead spell until the middle of the following week.

We start to see a pulse of energy returning on Wednesday the 26th, but it’s a weak, short-period 3 ft from the SW (6 seconds). The afternoon looks cleaner with a light cross-off breeze, but it’s still only surfable, not memorable. Combined energy is just 91.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. Thursday the 27th stays small and poor, but Friday the 28th brings a proper injection of size. We see a 6 ft, 7-second windswell roll in from the W, with energy (270) jumping up into the moderate range. The problem? The wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-onshore, so it's going to be a messy, lumpy beast. It’s a “sheets off” kind of day, not a paddle out.

The standout window, and I mean the one you need to circle on the calendar, is Sunday the 30th of August. Sunday morning is looking like the best of the lot. We’ve got a solid 10 ft swell from the W with a 9-second period. The combined wave energy is a massive 1404, that's serious power. The guidance says the wind and tide are favorable, but also flags that at this size, it's too big for the break. If you’re an expert charger, this is your window. For everyone else, that’s a day for the cliffs. The wind is forecast onshore from the W at 12 mph, so it's going to be a wild, heavy, walled-off slab. If you're not on it, it's a spectator sport—maybe more for kitesurfers than paddle surfers.

Into the first week of September, Monday the 31st drops off to 4 ft, and we’re back into cross-onshore choppy conditions. Tuesday the 1st of September looks similar to that Sunday, with a 8 ft to 8 ft swell from the WSW, but again, strong onshore winds will trash it. Wednesday the 2nd sees another big pulse, 8 ft from the W with a longer period of 10 seconds and very high energy (1262), but the wind is a fresh cross-on again. It's just persistent poor conditions in the second week, with the swell being too big for decent shape.

So, bottom line: this is a waiting game. The next week is flat. The real action is on Sunday the 30th of August, but that’s big, powerful, and looks to be blown-out for everyone but the brave. If it cleans up, it could be epic, but as it stands, it’s a rough, heavy offering.

Rusty, signing off.

Read more