Ersary beach (Barra) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Ersary beach on Barra. I’ll be straight with you – the next 16 days start off rough, real rough. We’ve got a solid gap of no-go surf from now until the 13th of August, with a whole lot of wind and messy conditions. The first decent sniff of something rideable won’t come until Thursday the 13th, but it’s a bit of a tricky one.

The main issue early on is the wind. We’re looking at a near gale from the NW on Wednesday morning, 34 mph, blowing straight onshore. That’s a write-off. The swell is there, 8 ft from the NW at 8 seconds, combined energy sitting at 789 (moderate), but it’s just blown to bits. That afternoon, the swell jumps to 10 ft (1082 energy), but the wind swings to a cross-onshore NNW, still 34 mph, so it’s a mess. Thursday the 6th drops right off – tiny 3 ft NW swell, only 5 seconds, and still onshore. Not worth a paddle.

We go through Friday and the weekend with strong winds and lumpy cross-onshore conditions. Swells between 7 ft and 10 ft, but the wind is a fresh to strong breeze, so it’s all chop and no shape. The combined energy peaks at 1513 on Friday afternoon (strong), but it’s a cross-shore mess. Monday the 10th sees the swell dropping to 5 ft-6 ft, still onshore winds, poor surf. That blank run continues until Wednesday the 12th, where we get a brief moment of clean conditions with a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell is tiny – 0.7 ft to 4 ft. Not enough to get excited about.

Now, here’s the standout, and it’s a late one. Thursday the 13th afternoon – the wave comment says the swell is predicted to be too big for this break, with a 10 ft SW swell at 9 seconds and a combined energy of 1496 (strong). The wind is light from the W, cross-onshore, and it’s fairly choppy. The water temp is about average for the time of year. For a beginner spot like Ersary beach, this is too big. It’s a beach break, exposed to the NW, and this swell is coming from the SW, so it’s not even the ideal direction. This one is for experts only, and even then, the wind isn’t perfect.

But then, Friday the 14th morning – this is the best on offer. The swell is 8 ft from the W at 9 seconds, combined energy is 1477 (strong). The wind is a light 3 mph from the ENE, cross-offshore, and it’s clean. This is a proper groundswell, and 9 seconds is a solid period. The water is about average for the time of year. This is a day for experienced surfers only – 8 ft is too big for beginners. The crowd profile says “never”, so you’ll have the place to yourself. The swell direction (W) is a bit off the optimum NW, but with that clean cross-offshore wind, it’ll be surfable. This is the one to aim for.

After that, it drops off again. Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th are back to small, weak, or blown out. The rest of the run into the 20th is mostly poor, with a slight nod to Thursday the 20th morning – a 3 ft WSW swell at 8 seconds, with an offshore breeze from the SE at 12 mph, but it’s very ordinary.

So, the takeaway: the first week and a half is a total bust. The best window is the morning of Friday the 14th, with clean, solid, 8 ft W swell. If you’re an experienced surfer and can wait, it’ll be worth it. Beginners, sit this one out.

Rusty.

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