Croyde Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Rusty here.

First up, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch ahead for Croyde. For the next week and a half, we’re looking at a real flat spell. From Friday 10 July right through to the middle of the following week, there’s barely a ripple worth mentioning. The swell is tiny, mostly below 2ft, and even where the wind is offshore and clean, there just isn’t enough energy in the water to push a decent wave. The combined swell energy is weak, sitting below 100 (86 and lower) for most of that period. It’s a proper blank run – not unusual for this area when the summer high pressure locks in.

Then, something shifts. On Wednesday 22 July, a pulse of swell arrives. The height jumps to 6ft from the west, with a short period of 7 seconds. Combined energy climbs into moderate territory (316). The problem? The wind is cross-shore and onshore, with a fresh breeze, so it’s going to be lumpy and messy. That trend continues into Thursday 23 July with 5ft to 7ft west-southwest swell, but again, the wind is onshore and choppy. The energy is moderate to strong (224–385), but the quality is not there for paddle surfing – this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than a clean ride.

Now, here’s the standout. Friday 24 July. This is the one to circle on the calendar. Croyde gets a serious pulse of groundswell: 13ft to 15ft from the west-southwest, with a period of 10 to 11 seconds. Combined energy is massive – 3046 to 4456, that’s very strong wave energy. The wind is offshore and clean from the east-southeast to southeast, which is a major positive. The waves themselves will be powerful, with long gaps between sets. However, at this size, Croyde is only for experts – 13ft is well above 8ft, so beginners and intermediates should sit this one out. The swell direction (WSW) matches the optimum for the break. It’s a true big-wave session, but expect serious crowds, as this spot gets busy when the swell lights up.

After that, Saturday 25 July still holds 8ft swell from the west, with a longer 11-second period and moderate energy (1553), but the wind swings cross-shore and light, making conditions marginal. It’s still big, but less clean than Friday.

So, if you’re an expert looking for a heavyweight session, Friday 24 July is your day. Everything else in this 16-day window is either flat or blown out. Keep an eye on the forecasts – it tends not to stay poor for long.

Rusty.

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