Fairhaven Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's break down Fairhaven. We've got a proper run of swell, but it's a real mixed bag of killer sessions and days you'll want to skip.

The first few days, starting Friday the 24th, are a total washout for paddle surfing. We're looking at a 16ft SW groundswell with a very long 15-second period, and that's putting out a massive combined wave energy of 19553. That's a ton of power, and it's just too big for this spot. The wind is a messy cross-shore, so it's just a wall of whitewater. The same goes for Saturday the 25th with 12ft swell, and Sunday the 26th starts to drop but still has 10ft. The energy is still up there (2943) and the conditions are marginal. You'd be a fool to paddle out.

Monday the 27th is interesting. The swell drops to 6ft from the SW with a period of 11 seconds, and the combined energy drops to 903. The morning is still a bit iffy, but the Monday afternoon session is the first real chance. The wind swings to a light NW cross-off, the reports say "clean," and the conditions are looking good. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so a wetsuit is a good call.

Tuesday the 28th we see the swell building back up to 8ft and then 10ft in the afternoon, with a long 14-15 second period. The wind is a fresh 19 mph cross-off, which is a bit strong, and the energy is climbing back up (3603). It's a bit raw and probably too much for a fun session.

The big boys come back on Wednesday the 29th. We're back to 12ft SW swell with a 14-second period, and the energy is nearly 5000. The wind is light onshore, so it'll be a bumpy, washing-machine mess. Too big, too messy.

Finally, we get a window. Thursday morning the 30th is the standout early session. The swell is a manageable 7ft from the SW, the period is a solid 13 seconds, and the wind is a light 6 mph cross-off from the NW. The report says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." The energy is 1562, moderate, and it'll be clean. This is your best bet for a solid session.

Friday the 31st is a weird one. The morning has a 5ft swell but the Friday afternoon is a real treat. The swell drops to 4ft, but the period extends to a very long 19 seconds. The wind goes completely glassy, dead calm. The wave energy is 1527, moderate. That's a long-period groundswell, so it'll be a bit walled at a beach break, but for a rare, clean, glassy afternoon, it's a great session for a longboard or a funboard.

Saturday the 1st of August is a major standout. The morning is a clean 8ft from the SW with a 16-second period, and the Saturday afternoon is the pick of the entire forecast. 10ft SW swell, 18-second period, light NW cross-off winds, and the combined energy is a strong 5369. The report says "excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers." This is big, powerful, clean groundswell. It's definitely for experienced surfers only, but it will be an epic session.

The first week of August is a blur of solid swell. Sunday the 2nd has 8ft and 7ft with moderate wind, but it's still good. The real run of quality comes from Wednesday the 5th through Thursday the 6th of August. Wednesday afternoon has a 10ft SW swell with a 17-second period and light ENE cross-off winds, with energy at 4263. Thursday morning is even better, with 10ft, 16-second period, light NNE cross-off, and energy at 4805. Both are "excellent" for experienced surfers. This is a sustained run of prime, powerful surf.

Friday the 7th of August is the last real day of action. The swell drops to 6ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon, but the wind goes moderate offshore from the N at 16 mph. The energy drops to 1019, so it's a clean, manageable day to wrap up the run.

The final day, Saturday the 8th, is a fizzle with 5ft and light onshore wind. Not worth it.

So, the two true standouts are Thursday morning the 30th of July for a clean, fun session, and Saturday afternoon the 1st of August for a big, powerful, clean groundswell for experienced surfers. The crowds are noted as "often" here, so don't expect solitude.

Rusty.

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