Eerste Steen Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this out there. It’s a bit of a mixed bag for the next couple of weeks at Eerste Steen, but there are definitely some windows where you want to be in the water.

The water is running 56°, which is a good four and a half degrees colder than we’d usually see this time of year. That’s a real chill in the water, so don’t be a hero—grab the hood if you’ve got one. It’s going to feel like early winter out there.

We’ve got a week of pretty messy, junky surf ahead. Through Monday and Tuesday, the swell is there—4ft to 7ft—but it's coming from the WSW with periods around 11-14 seconds, and the wind is up out of the SSE, blowing straight across the break. That's a recipe for chop and bump. You’ll find some lumpy, cross-shore slop, not much power, and a lot of frustration. Combined energy is sitting in the moderate range, but it's not doing anything clean. Honestly, this is more of a “sit on the beach and watch” kinda stretch.

Then, we get our first real glimmer on Wednesday morning (26 August). The wind swings around more offshore, out of the ESE at 9 mph, and the surf cleans right up. Swell drops a touch to 5ft from the WSW, 13-second period. That’s a decent combo—cleaner shape, more push. It's a brief window, and the afternoon gets lighter wind, but the swell backs down to 4ft. Still, this is about the best the early part of the week has to offer.

Thursday falls apart as the wind goes NNW and then W, making everything messy and crossed-up again. Friday’s a bit of a tease—clean, offshore ESE wind, but the swell really fades. We’re down to 3ft to 4ft, with periods around 14-16 seconds. It’s pretty, but small and soft. A log might be your friend, but there's not much push in it.

The weekend gets ugly. Saturday is windy, Sunday is a write-off. Sunday morning (30 August) we see a jump in swell—10ft—but with the wind howling out of the S at 19 mph, it’s just a mess. Strong, lumpy cross-chop, poor quality. That swell pushes the combined energy way up into the strong range, but what good is power if you can’t even paddle out without taking a beating? Monday stays big, but it’s still lumpy, and the wind is all over the place.

Real talk: the first week is not for the faint-hearted.

Now, look a week ahead. Tuesday and into 2 September looks like it might get proper big. We’re talking swell heights climbing to 18ft, even 20ft, with a very powerful WSW swell. Energy ratings go through the roof. But, there’s a catch: the wind is forecast to be a near gale, blowing onshore. That’s just a washed-out, dangerous mess. This isn't surfable for mere mortals; even the guys with guns will be scratching their heads. The conditions look way more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing—you’d be crazy to try and paddle out in that.

Then, and this is a big highlight, the outlook looks like it could turn on. Thursday 3rd, and into Friday 4th September, the swell is still super strong—16ft down to 12ft from the SSW/SW—but the wind is forecast to drop off a lot, turning lighter and cross-onshore. The forecast notes say “wind and tide favorable, but the swell is predicted to be too big for this break.” That’s a fair warning. At 12ft to 16ft, this is expert-only territory, and Eerste Steen can get really shifty and heavy at that size. It might hold, but it's a serious step up.

After that, it fades out. Saturday and Sunday the wind picks up again, and the swell drops back. We’re looking at 4ft to 8ft, choppy and junky once more. The next real chance looks like the start of the following week, around Tuesday 8 September. It’s a bit of a tease—clean, offshore ESE winds, 5ft of WSW swell, around 11 seconds. That's worth a look if it holds, but we're talking about a week out, so don't plan your life around it just yet.

The standout window is Thursday and Friday of next week (3-4 September). It’s big and powerful, but if you’ve got the skills and the nerve, the conditions look far better than anything we’ve had. The energy is immense, direction is right out of the SSW, and the wind might just cooperate enough. That’s your window if you’re chasing something legit. Keep in mind, it's big—over 8ft—so it's strictly for the experienced crew. Beginners and even solid intermediates should sit this one out and wait for it to drop.

Alright, that’s the picture. It’s a grind, but there’s a firecracker or two in there if you're patient.

— Rusty

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