Eastbourne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the surf outlook for Eastbourne.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. The whole 16-day window is looking pretty grim. There’s barely a ripple to get excited about, and what little swell shows up is wrecked by the wind or just plain weak. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with no real standout sessions.

The water here is running *much warmer than normal* for this time of year, sitting at 70°, which is a real wildcard, but it won’t help the waves.

We start on Sunday the 23rd with nothing. Monday the 24th brings a bit of swell from the east, but it’s a paltry 3 ft with a terrible 4-second period and a stiff 35 km/h cross-onshore wind. That’s just messy, lumpy junk. Not worth paddling out for. The energy is weak, barely registering (21).

Tuesday the 25th is even worse, with the swell dropping and the wind still howling. The whole first week is a write-off. There’s a bit of a pulse from the southwest showing up around Friday the 28th, but the wind is cross-shore and the wave quality is still rated as poor.

Now, we get to Saturday the 29th of August. The swell bumps up to 7 ft from the WSW with a 7-second period, and the wind goes cross-offshore. The combined energy jumps to 332 – that’s actually moderate energy. The waves are clean. But here’s the thing: 7 ft with that wind direction is only for the experienced crew. It’s a bit too much size for beginners. Still, this is the best we’ve got in the whole forecast. The break is a sheltered spot, so it’ll take some of that energy but it’s also inconsistent, so don’t expect non-stop sets. Late August 29th and into the 30th, the swell drops a bit, but the wind stays cross-off, keeping it rideable.

After that, it’s back to nothing. The first week of September is a total flat spell. The swell is tiny, the energy is down to single digits, and there’s just no power. The wind is mostly cross-offshore, keeping the surface clean, but there’s nothing to ride. We’re talking days of zero to 1 ft of weak, short-period slop. It’s a long gap with no real recommendations.

Honestly, if you’re desperate, the only window is the last weekend of August, and even that’s a gamble. For the rest of us, it’s time to check the forecasts again in a few days. Things can change, but right now, it’s a lean run.

Rusty.

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