Ersary beach (Barra) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty, checking in from the Outer Hebrides, and I’ve got to be straight with you—the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a paddle. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing much on the cards.

For the first few days, from Thursday the 20th through to the end of the weekend on Sunday the 23rd, it’s a complete write-off. The wind is howling from the north and north-west, gusting up to 25 mph, and it’s all cross-shore or cross-onshore, making a proper mess of things. The swell is small, weak, and short-period—mostly around 1 ft to 5 ft, but with wind like that, it’s just chop. The combined energy is pitiful, sitting between 46 and 206 (weak to moderate), and the water temp is 59°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year. Nothing to get excited about.

Then we hit a bit of a dry spell. From Monday the 24th through to the end of the month, the swell drops right off. We’re talking ankle-slappers, 0.7 ft to 2 ft, with next to no energy—most days the combined energy is under 100 (weak). The wind does swing offshore or cross-off a few times, which would be great for clean conditions, but there’s just no wave to work with.

The one bright spot, and I mean the *only* one in this whole 16-day window, is Monday the 24th of August. That morning you’ll see a pulse of west swell push in at 6 ft, with a period of 11 seconds (a proper groundswell), and the combined energy jumps to 657 (strong). By the afternoon it’s still holding at 5 ft and 10 seconds, energy at 552 (strong). The wind is light and cross-off from the SSE, so the face will be clean. This is the best we’ve got, no question. But be warned—this is a long-period west swell hitting an exposed beach break. It’ll have some punch, with longer lulls between sets. It’s not a beginner wave at that size, and the long period can make it close out fast on a beach. Still, for a surfer who knows what they’re doing, Monday the 24th is your window.

After that, it’s back to tiny, weak surf and messy wind right through to the end of the forecast. A couple of spots in early September show a bit of a bump—like the 2nd of September has a 6 ft north-northeast swell, but with a short 6-second period and onshore wind, it’s just a choppy mess. Not worth the drive.

So, to sum it up: five days of poor surf, then a long gap of tiny waves, with one standout morning on Monday the 24th. If you miss that, you’re waiting a long time. But hey, forecasts can change, and this area can flick a switch when you least expect it.

Rusty, signing off.

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