Eerste Steen Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The surf outlook for the area is starting off a bit flat but there’s a slow build into some proper swell later. A lot of the first week is going to be tricky with onshore or cross-shore winds messing up the shape, but there’s a couple of windows that are worth setting the alarm for.

Right now, we’re looking at the first recommendation coming in on Tuesday the 18th of August at Eerste Steen. Swell is 8 ft from the southwest with a 13-second period, which is a solid groundswell. The combined energy is strong (2345), so there’s plenty of push. But the wind is a cross-shore from the south at 12 mph, so it’s going to be a bit chopped up and messy. The water temp is 55°, which is 5° colder than normal for this time of year, so it’s much colder than usual – you’ll want a good thick wetsuit.

Wednesday the 19th stays similar in size but the wind is cross-onshore, making it fairly choppy. Thursday the 20th sees the swell bump up to 10 ft with a 13-second period, combined energy hitting 3422 in the morning, but again the wind is cross-shore. This is big, powerful surf. Anything over 8 ft is only for experienced surfers, and with the chop it’s going to be a handful. Not the best quality for most.

Friday the 21st starts to ease a little, and by the afternoon we get a window of clean offshore wind from the WSW at 6 mph. The swell drops to 4 ft from the SSW with a 11-second period. This is a much more manageable size for intermediates. The combined energy is moderate (773). This is the first real standout – smaller, but clean and lined up for the better surfers.

The weekend (Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd) is a mixed bag. Saturday morning has a strong NNW wind at 16 mph with only 4 ft swell – poor conditions. But Sunday the 23rd morning brings back 8 ft from the WSW, 13-second period, with light cross-shore wind from the SSE at 6 mph. The energy is high (2033). This is another decent option if you can handle the size, but the wind isn’t perfect.

Now, the real standout for this whole forecast is Tuesday the 25th of August morning. Eerste Steen gets 8 ft from the southwest, 14-second period – that’s long-period groundswell, which means better shaped waves, more energy (2166), and longer lulls between sets. The wind is cross-offshore from the SE at 6 mph, so the surface will be clean. This is excellent for experienced surfers. The water temp anomaly isn’t given for this slot, but given the earlier readings, expect it to stay cold.

After that, the surf ebbs and flows. There’s a smaller, glassy morning on Sunday the 30th of August with only 3 ft from the southwest, 15-second period, and glassy conditions from a light SE wind. Combined energy is low (525). This is more of a longboard or mellow session.

But the next big standout is Monday the 31st of August morning. This one’s a beauty. Swell is 8 ft from the southwest, 16-second period – that’s very long-period groundswell, which will wrap well into the point but might break too straight for the beach. The wind is offshore from the east at 9 mph, so clean faces. Combined energy is very strong (3305). This is for experienced surfers only, and crowds are possible – this spot is fairly consistent and can draw a crowd. The offshore wind makes it worth the early paddle.

The first week of September looks more marginal with stronger cross-onshore winds and choppy conditions. Nothing really worth chasing there.

So overall, the best windows are Friday afternoon the 21st for the smaller, clean conditions, Tuesday morning the 25th for a solid groundswell with clean wind, and Monday morning the 31st of August for the biggest, cleanest, longest-period swell of the entire run. That last one is the one to circle on the calendar.

Rusty.

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