Croyde Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on the menu for our local sandbar, Croyde.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first week of this forecast is a total write-off. We’ve got a solid run of poor conditions from Monday the 14th right through to Sunday the 20th. The wind is just hammering us from the southwest and west, smashing that swell into a choppy, lumpy mess. Sure, there’s some decent-sized swell in there – we’re looking at waves around 6ft on Tuesday the 15th, but with a fresh onshore howl and a short, weak period, it’s just ugly. The combined energy is moderate at best, hitting 327, but it’s all for nothing with the wind. Don’t even bother paddling out.

We finally see a change on Monday the 21st. The wind swings around to the east-southeast and goes light, giving us clean conditions. The problem is the swell has dropped right off to just 2ft. The combined energy is weak at 48, and the wave comment says it all: surfable but very ordinary. It’s a fun ankle-snatcher for a log if you’re desperate, but nothing to get excited about. This flat, clean pattern sticks around for a few days.

Now, here’s a glimmer of hope for the true dawn patrol crew. On Thursday the 24th of September, the wind goes glassy out of the south-southeast in the morning. The swell is still tiny at 2ft, but the combined energy is a weak 107. The water temperature is about 65°, which feels much warmer than normal for this time of year. Still, it’s a glassy clean-up for a micro-swell, so maybe a few longboarders get some cruisy little rollers.

The next day, Friday the 25th, we get another glassy morning with the wind from the north. Again, it’s small at 2ft, and the energy is very weak at 95. It’s the same story: clean but tiny.

Honestly, the best window across this whole 16-day stretch is the weekend of the 26th and 27th. Saturday the 26th morning has a light offshore wind from the east, with waves at 2ft. It’s clean and the combined energy is a pathetic 99 – still weak. But by Sunday the 27th, the wind goes offshore from the east at a moderate 12 mph, and the swell drops to just 1ft with a combined energy of 24. The wind is clean, but there’s just no ocean energy. The only standout for real waves is a total no-go. We never get a combination of decent size and good wind. The entire 16 days is a flat, blown-out, or clean-but-micro situation. It’s one of those classic autumn gaps where we get nothing but wind and no swell.

For the whole 16-day window, there are no true standouts. The best on offer is maybe a couple of glassy mornings with knee-high dribble for the loggers. If you’re a kite surfer, the first week has plenty of wind and a messy sea state that might look interesting, but for a paddle surfer? Save your energy.

Stay patient, lads. It won't stay this poor forever.

- Rusty

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