Eastbourne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mate, let's talk about Eastbourne.

It’s a long, quiet spell we’ve got on our hands here. For the next few days, it’s basically flat and not worth wetting your wetsuit. Honestly, there isn’t anything decent on offer for surfing until the very end of the first week of September, and even then, it’s a tough call.

Right now, through this week and into the start of next, we’re looking at tiny swells, mostly under 2 feet, with periods too short to get a decent ride. The wind is all over the shop, mostly side-shore or onshore, keeping things choppy and messy. The water temp is just average for this time of year, nothing special.

We start to see a bit of a pulse around the 29th of August (Saturday), where the swell bumps up to about 6 feet in the morning from the SW. But the wind is a fresh side-shore, making a lumpy mess of it, and the combined energy climbs to a moderate 221. Not a day to get worked up about. It gets worse in the afternoon with 8 feet of swell and a strong side-shore wind pushing the energy to 466 (strong wave energy). That’s too big for a beginner, and with all that wind, it’s only going to appeal to the experts, or honestly, the kitesurfers. The beach setup here will be more fun on a kite than a paddle board.

Monday the 31st of August cleans up a bit. Winds turn side-offshore from the W, offering clean conditions. The swell sits around 4 to 5 feet from the WSW, with moderate energy up to 196. It’s clean, but the surf quality is still poor and the wave comment says it all – not happening.

Finally, on Tuesday the 1st of September, we get “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” The swell picks up to about 5 feet in the morning from the SW, with a period of 6 seconds – a short period swell that won’t have much shape. Combined energy is 182, moderate. The wind is a gentle side-offshore breeze, so it’s clean. By the afternoon, the swell hits about 7 feet from the SW (energy 434, strong) but the wave comment says it’s marginal. For an experienced surfer, the afternoon on the 1st of September is the only time in the whole run that’s even worth a look, and it’s still a gamble. The water temp is still ordinary.

After that, it drops back to tiny again for days. There is a little bump on Monday the 7th of September with a 7 foot Westerly swell, but the wind is a moderate side-shore producing a cross-chop and the surf is still described as poor.

So what’s the verdict? The standout, if you can call it that, is the afternoon of Tuesday the 1st of September. You’ll find 7 feet of SW swell with clean conditions from a side-offshore breeze. It’s still described as marginal, so don’t expect perfection. Crowds at Eastbourne are sometimes a problem, so you might have company. If you’re an experienced surfer and you’re desperate, that’s your window. For everyone else, maybe check back later in the month.

Rusty.

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