Eastbourne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Eastbourne. To be straight with you, it’s a pretty bleak 16-day window. The first sniff of anything rideable doesn’t show up until Saturday the 29th of August, and honestly, it’s not good. The water is sitting at 70°, which is a massive 7° warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s very unusual, and it feels weird paddling out in that sort of bath water right now.

So, Saturday the 29th of August afternoon sees a messy 8ft swell from the SW, but with a short period of 7 seconds and a strong cross-shore wind howling at 28 mph, the combined energy is moderate at 511, but it’s just a chop fest. Not one for the board. Sunday the 30th of August morning cleans up a bit with a moderate breeze and a clean look, but the swell drops to 5ft from the SW, period at 6 seconds, and the energy is weak at 149. It’s a beginner wave at best, but with the consistency listed as “inconsistent” and a sheltered exposure, it’s a gamble. The crowds are “sometimes” here, so you might get a few bodies out.

Monday the 31st of August brings a bit of size back. Morning has a 7ft WSW swell with an 8-second period, giving us moderate energy of 429. The wind is cross-off at 22 mph, so it’s clean. The afternoon drops to 5ft, but still clean. Honestly, for a sheltered spot, that’s a bit of size – over 5ft starts to get a bit much for beginners. It’s just not a standout session.

The rest of the first week, from Tuesday the 1st of September right through to Saturday the 5th of September, is a mixed bag of tiny waves and poor conditions. There’s a pulse on Thursday the 3rd of September with a 7ft SW swell and 7-second period, giving moderate energy of 440, but the wind is a fresh breeze and the quality is still poor. Not worth chasing.

There’s a big gap of nothing really rideable from the 6th of September through to the 11th of September. We’re talking tiny 0.3ft to 1ft swells, mostly with poor or messy wind. The 10th of September Thursday morning is glassy, but the swell is only 0.7ft. You’d be floating.

The only real standout, and I use that term loosely, is Saturday the 12th of September. The morning sees a 8ft SW swell with an 8-second period, blasting in with strong energy at 836. The wind is a strong cross-shore, so it’s messy. It’s over 8ft, so that’s expert-only territory, and the period is short, so it’s a lumpy, powerful close-out. The afternoon drops to 7ft, still from the SW, with a 7-second period (energy 452), but the wind picks up to a near gale at 31 mph. Frankly, with that much wind and that kind of swell, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The 13th of September Sunday has a tiny 1.0ft swell with a long 12-second period and clean offshore wind, but it’s too small to do anything with.

Bottom line: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. It’s a blank run, which is more normal for this area given the inconsistent nature of the break. Forecasts can change, but for now, keep the board in the shed.

Rusty.

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