Croyde Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Croyde over the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, the outlook is a bit of a write-off for the foreseeable future. The whole 16-day window is a tough one. There’s a lot of swell, no doubt about it, but the wind is just not playing ball for the most part, and the guidance keeps telling us the surf is in poor condition. The water is sitting at 67°F which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s small comfort when the waves are a mess.

We kick off on Friday the 28th of August, but it’s not one to get excited about. The swell is a weak 4ft out of the WSW, but with a strong 22 mph cross-on wind, it’s just lumpy and poor. The combined energy is only 102 (weak), and the period is a short 6 seconds, so there’s no real push.

The weekend offers no real reprieve. Saturday morning the 29th cleans up with a cross-off wind, but the swell is still only 4ft from the SW, and the energy is a weak 109. By the afternoon, the wind swings onshore and it’s messy again. Sunday the 30th sees a bit more size, with 5ft to 6ft, but it’s all cross-shore and choppy, with the energy climbing to 447 (moderate) by the afternoon, but the quality is still poor.

Looking into the first week of September, the wind remains a problem. Monday the 31st of August has a solid 7ft W swell, pushing the combined energy up to 854 (moderate to strong), but a cross-onshore wind makes it choppy. This pattern of “on“ or “cross-on“ wind continues day after day. Tuesday the 1st of September and Wednesday the 2nd see the size drop back, but the wind is onshore and strong, with the energy falling to between 82 and 285 (weak to weak-moderate). The whole stretch from the 28th of August through to the 7th of September is pretty much a write-off for paddle surfing.

The real standout, and it’s a big one, comes on the 8th of September. We’ve got a massive 16ft to 18ft swell from the W, with a very long period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is a staggering 6013 to 7110 (very strong). This is proper, heavy groundswell. But here’s the caveat: the wind is a strong onshore (22 mph), so while the energy is immense, the quality is going to be absolute chaos. With that size, it’s strictly for experts only, and even then, it’s going to be a battle. The 9th of September is the only day that gets a “marginal“ rating, with a 6ft W swell and a light onshore wind, but the energy is still high at 815. It’s worth a look, but the window is tiny.

After that, the swell fades rapidly. The 10th of September is a flat, weak 1ft to 2ft with a clean cross-off wind, but it’s barely a ripple. The remaining days through to the 12th of September are a mix of onshore winds and small, messy swell.

So, to be blunt, there’s not a single day in the whole 16-day window that I’d call a genuine standout for a good, clean surf. The 8th of September is the biggest, but it’s a beast that’s likely only for the most experienced, and it’ll be a challenge. For the rest of us, it’s a case of waiting for the wind to cooperate. Given the “very consistent” nature of Croyde, it won’t stay poor forever, but this forecast is a long, blank run.

Rusty.

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