Croyde Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Croyde over this 16-day stretch.

Mate, I gotta be straight with you – the start of this run is pretty bleak. For the first four days, from Sunday the 23rd all the way through to Wednesday morning the 26th, we’re looking at tiny waves. We’re talking 0.7ft to 1ft of weak, short-period swell. The energy is pathetic, with combined energy values barely scraping into double digits (35 or less). You’d be dragging your board over dry sand more than you’d be surfing. It’s a scratchy start.

Then, from Wednesday afternoon the 26th, the swell tries to lift a bit. Wednesday afternoon goes glassy with a 1ft swell from the west (period 8 seconds), but the energy is still only 30. It’s clean-looking but tiny. Then Thursday the 27th brings a pulse – morning sees 4ft from the SW (8 seconds) with moderate energy (204), but it’s cross-onshore and choppy. By Thursday afternoon, the wind drops to glassy with 4ft from the SW (7 seconds), and the energy is 194. That’s the first window where you might get a bodysurf or a longboard glide, but the conditions are “very ordinary.” It’s a struggle.

Friday the 28th morning is the best of the early week. We get 3ft from the WSW (8 seconds) with a gentle offshore breeze from the east. Clean surf, but small. Combined energy is 96. Still, it’s rideable. After that, Friday afternoon and Saturday the 29th see the swell building but the wind swings onshore and gets messy. Saturday morning has 6ft (414 energy) but it’s from a fresh cross-onshore SW wind – lumpy and hard to enjoy. Saturday afternoon pushes to 8ft (585 energy) but it’s strong cross-onshore and messy. Not good.

Sunday the 30th is a write-off. Rain showers, strong onshore wind, 7ft to 6ft – it’s just ugly. By Monday the 31st, the swell drops back to under 3ft and the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore. Tuesday the 1st of September is back to tiny, lifeless 0.7ft to 1.0ft. Another dry spell.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting but uncertain. Thursday the 4th of September – three days into the month – we’ve got a proper swell arriving. Morning shows 8ft from the WSW (9 seconds) with combined energy of 1050. That’s strong energy. The afternoon sits at 7ft (748 energy). The wind is onshore, which is a shame, but the size and energy are there. That’s solid, powerful groundswell, favouring the WSW direction which matches what Croyde likes. The period is 9 seconds, so it’s not a super long-period groundswell, which is actually a good thing for a beach break like Croyde – it won’t close out completely. However, 8ft is pushing into expert territory, especially with onshore wind. If the wind swings offshore or goes lighter, this could be the standout of the entire run.

The Standout Window: The morning of the 4th of September. It’s the biggest, most energetic pulse we see, and it’s aimed right at Croyde. The wind is light onshore at 9 mph, so it’s not totally blown out. If that wind backs off or goes offshore, you’d have some serious, powerful peaks. But as it stands, it’s a big, meaty, onshore-looking day that only experienced crew should consider. The energy is very strong (1050). It’s the only day where you can genuinely say there’s proper swell.

After that, the wind gets messy again right through to the end of the forecast period on the 7th of September, with a massive 10ft to 13ft storm swell (2823 energy) arriving but with near-gale onshore winds. That’s a kite-surfing day, not a paddle day.

Overall: A long, dry start, a couple of clean but tiny windows, then one big pulse on the 4th of September that’s picked up by the wind. Not a classic run for Croyde. If you’re desperate, Thursday afternoon the 27th or Friday morning the 28th offer the cleanest, smallest windows, but the 4th is the only one with real grunt – just keep an eye on that wind.

Rusty.

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