Fairhaven Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's coming down the pipe for Fairhaven.

To start with, the water temperature is sitting at 57°, which is about average for this time of year. Not a shock to the system, just your usual cool.

We've got a real mixed bag of a forecast for the next couple of weeks. It kicks off on Thursday the 20th of August with some small, clean 3 ft swell from the WSW. The energy is moderate at 561, and with a light cross-offshore breeze, it's surfable but nothing to write home about. Friday the 21st builds a touch, with the morning seeing a 5 ft swell from the WSW. The energy jumps to a solid 1196 (moderate), and with that same clean cross-off wind it's a decent improvement, shaping up to be a very good session.

Now, here's the standout for this first week. Saturday the 22nd of August. The swell is going to be pumping, but it’s a classic case of “too much of a good thing.” The morning delivers an 12 ft SW groundswell with a massive combined energy of 10332. That is strong wave energy. Problem is, this break isn't set up for it; it's simply too big. The afternoon gets even chunkier with 15 ft and over 12000 energy. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it might be more of a washing machine than a wave. For the average surfer, Saturday is a write-off for paddling, though the raw power is certainly impressive. Sunday the 23rd backs off a little to a cleaner 8 ft SW swell with a very long 16-second period in the afternoon. This is where that long period becomes a double-edged sword—great for reefs and points, but at a beach break like Fairhaven, it might hold up and make for some walls that are tricky to find a pocket on. It’s an excellent session for an experienced surfer, but beginners will find it too much.

Monday the 24th drops back into the 6 ft to 7 ft range from the SW with clean winds, making for a much more manageable, if not spectacular, day. The energy dips back into the thousands, so it's moderate. Then the wheels fall off from Tuesday the 25th through Wednesday the 26th with onshore southerly winds and lumpy, poor conditions. A good time to do other things.

Thursday the 27th looks like a redemption window. The morning shapes up with clean 5 ft SW swell and a 21-second period in the afternoon. That very long period is going to bring some serious push and long waits between sets, but if you're in the right spot when it arrives, it’ll be a proper, powerful wave. The energy is moderate at 1045. Friday the 28th holds clean cross-off conditions with 6 ft to 6 ft SW swell, making for a solid, if not perfect, run of days. The weekend of the 29th and 30th gets messy again with fresh cross-onshore wind and lumpy, poor surf.

Then we get into the second week, and this is where the long-range promise comes in. Monday the 31st of August and Tuesday the 1st of September look excellent. We’re talking clean, glassy conditions with offshore breezes. The swell is small initially, around 3 ft, but with a 14-second period on the 31st afternoon, and then building to a punchy 4 ft with a 16-second period on the Tuesday afternoon. The combined swell energy is solidly moderate (721-832). This is the time to be in the water.

But the real long-range standout is Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd of September. We see a big pulse of swell arriving. Wednesday morning has an 12 ft WSW swell with offshore winds—clean, powerful, but again, likely too big for this break. The energy is a very strong 4331. Thursday the 3rd is the one to circle on your calendar if you're an experienced surfer. A 10 ft SW swell hits with clean, glassy offshore wind and a combined energy of 3636. This is an excellent surf condition for experienced surfers, but beginners and intermediates should stay well clear. The swell then gets messy on Friday the 4th of September with onshore wind again.

Overall, the pick of the entire forecast is the combination on Thursday the 27th of August for its clean conditions and that long-period groundswell, and then the Thursday the 3rd of September for the expert-level power and perfect offshore wind. For the average surfer, the stretch from Monday the 31st of August through Tuesday the 1st of September looks like the most accessible window of clean, fun waves.

Rusty.

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