Eerste Steen Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right folks, Rusty here with a look at what's on the menu for the next couple weeks.

The swell window is open almost the whole time, but conditions are going to be touch-and-go. For the most part, the wave heights are up there – well into the 6-foot range and even pushing 10 feet at times – but the wind and tide look pretty average for many sessions, leaving it feeling a bit lumpy. The big standout window, and the one I’d circle on the calendar, is that Friday morning of the 21st of August and then again the following Monday morning on the 24th. Let’s break it down.

We kick off with a solid pulse. Saturday afternoon the 15th sees Eerste Steen picking up a 6-foot swell from the WSW, but with a light cross-on breeze, it's not doing it any favours. The energy’s already substantial at 1227 (moderate energy). The water’s sitting at a very unusual 56°, which is 4° colder than average for this time of year – that’s going to feel nippy, for sure.

Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th keep the size up, with the swell holding around 6 to 8 feet from the same WSW direction. The period is a solid 13–14 seconds, so there’s proper groundswell lines. But the wind stays cross or cross-on, so the surf will have a bit of chop on it, keeping it from being truly clean.

The middle of the week, from Tuesday the 18th right through Thursday the 20th, is pretty frustrating. You’ve got 7 to 8 feet of WSW swell with 12-13 second periods, but the wind just won’t get out of the way. It’s mostly a moderate cross-shore, so it’s going to be a cross-chop mess. The energy build is massive (reaching over 2500 on the Monday), but it’s not pretty surf. Honestly, for a few of those afternoons, with 8 feet of lumpy, wind-affected swell, it’s going to look more like a kite-surfing playground than a paddler’s paradise.

Finally, a break in the clouds. Friday morning, the 21st of August, that’s the one. The wind goes glassy from the SE, and we still have a meaty 7-foot swell from the SW with a 12-second period. The energy is still good at 1338 (moderate). This is the cleanest window of the first week. The size is solid, so it’s one for the experienced crew, but the conditions will be beautiful.

The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd takes a step back. Size drops to 4 to 5 feet on Saturday with strong onshore winds, and Sunday picks back up to 8 feet but with moderate cross-shore wind again. Not a great run.

Now, the second week. There’s a big window on the horizon. The standout of the entire forecast is Monday morning the 24th of August. We’re looking at a proper 10-foot swell from the SW with a long 16-second period. The wind is glassy. This is serious, powerful groundswell with very strong energy (4829). This is an expert-only call – the size and power will be intimidating, but for those with the skills, it’s going to be epic. That long period means it’ll be a proper freight train at this spot, so expect long lulls between sets.

The rest of that week is solid but messy. The 10-foot sticks around into Monday afternoon with a light cross-shore, and then Tuesday the 25th drops to 6 feet. The 26th and 27th of August see another clean-up. Thursday morning the 27th looks like another beauty: 7 feet from the WSW with 13-second period and absolutely glassy conditions. That’s a great, clean wave with moderate energy (1667).

The very end of the forecast into the 28th, 29th and 30th has size (8 to 10 feet) but the wind turns westerly and onshore again, so it’s going to get chopped up quick.

So, to wrap it up: the two clear highlights are Friday morning the 21st of August for a solid, clean SW swell, and Monday morning the 24th of August for the big, glassy groundswell. The rest of the 16 days is mostly lumpy, with a lot of wind-battered swell in between.

Rusty.

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