Croyde Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks.

Well, I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s a bit of a slow start. The first few days are looking pretty flat and weak. We’ve got tiny waves and messy wind, so don’t bother paddling out just yet. The first real chance to get wet comes on the morning of Tuesday the 11th. It’s still small, but the wind is clean and offshore from the ESE, so the surface will be glassy. The wave energy is weak (11), so you’ll be fighting for every ripple, but it’s a start.

The outlook picks up a touch on Wednesday the 12th. The morning sees a little more push with a 2ft swell from the west-northwest at 10 seconds, and the wind is still working in our favour from the ESE. The combined energy bumps up to 98, still in the weak category, but the clean conditions will make it feel better than it looks.

Thursday the 13th is the standout this week. The morning session at Croyde is your best bet. We’ve got a 3ft swell from the west-southwest wrapping in with a nice 9-second period, and the wind is light from the NE, giving us a clean cross-off. The combined energy jumps to 171, which is moderate, so there’s actually some push behind the waves. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. Don’t expect it to be empty, though – this spot can get busy, so be prepared for a few heads in the water.

After that, the wind gets messy again from the afternoon on Thursday and through Friday, turning cross-on and choppy. The swell holds in the 3ft range, but the quality drops off fast. Saturday the 15th is a write-off with weak, short-period windswell, and the wind is all over the shop.

We’ve got a real gap here with poor quality surf until the 18th. On Tuesday the 18th, the swell really fires up, but it’s not looking good for paddle surfing. We’re seeing a 7ft to 8ft swell from the west with a short 8-second period, combined with a strong onshore wind. The wave energy rockets up to 590 and 676, which is strong, but the onshore wind will chop it to pieces. This setup at a beach break like Croyde looks more interesting for the kite surfers than for us. Definitely not for beginners, and only experienced paddlers will want to look at it, and even then, it won’t be pretty.

The rest of the run into the 23rd is a mix of onshore wind and small, short-period waves. There’s a brief moment on the morning of the 20th with a clean offshore wind from the east, but the swell is only 1ft, so it’s more of a longboard or a paddle than a surf. The real story is that the best window is Thursday the 13th – that’s the one to circle on the calendar. After that, the forecasts are less certain, but it looks like a lot of waiting for the next proper clean swell.

Rusty.

Read more