Croyde Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for the Croyde area over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch. The whole 16-day window is a real mixed bag, and honestly, there’s no proper surf on the cards for a good while. The first solid recommendation doesn’t even pop up until the end of the month. For the first week or so, we’re looking at tiny, weak waves and a lot of wind. The water temp is sitting at 66° which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least a dip won’t be a shock to the system, but that’s about the only upside.

For the first few days, from the 22nd right through the 24th, the swell is barely a ripple. You’re looking at 1 ft or less, with periods all over the shop. The combined energy is pathetic – we’re talking values as low as 16 (weak energy). On Sunday the 23rd morning we get a clean offshore from the ENE, but with only 0.7 ft of swell, it’s just a flat, pretty lake. Not worth the rubber.

Things start to get a bit more interesting around the 27th of August. We see the swell building, but it comes with a cost. On Thursday the 27th afternoon, the swell jumps to 4 ft from the SW with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy hits 219 (moderate wave energy). The problem? A fresh cross-shore wind from the south at 19 mph making it lumpy. It’s a messy, onshore chop, not a clean wave.

The best window, and I mean the only real standout, looks like the morning of Friday the 28th of August. We’ve got 5 ft of swell from the SW, with a 9-second period, pushing combined energy to 406 (strong wave energy). The wind is a gentle cross-shore from the SSW at 9 mph, which gives us a slight cross-chop, but it’s the cleanest option in this whole period. It’s still not perfect, but for Croyde, that’s the pick of the bunch. The break is very consistent and exposed to the swell, with the direction (SW) matching the optimum for the spot. Be aware, crowds are often an issue here, so you’ll have company.

After that, it gets ugly again. The 29th sees a 7 ft to 7 ft swell from the west, but with strong onshore winds hitting 25 mph, the combined energy jumps to 529 (strong wave energy), but it’s a blown-out, onshore mess. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a good paddle. The swell stays over 5 ft for a few days, but it’s always accompanied by strong onshore winds, making it unsurfable for the average punter.

The second week, from the 1st of September onward, is a slow fade. The swell drops back to under 3 ft, and we’re back to weak energy (56, 49, 43...). The winds are mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the period drops to a pathetic 5 seconds. There’s a little spike on the 4th afternoon with 4 ft from the WSW and 108 combined energy, but it’s onshore again. The 5th has a similar story: 4 ft from the WSW, but with a fresh cross-onshore wind at 19 mph. It’s just not coming together.

So, to wrap it up: the only half-decent surf in this whole 16-day run is the Friday morning of the 28th of August. 5 ft SW swell, 9-second period, and a gentle cross-shore wind. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best we’ve got. For the rest, it’s either flat, blown out, or too messy. Hang tight, folks. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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