Fairhaven Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mate, Rusty here, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Fairhaven. Let’s get into it.

First off, Fairhaven is a tricky one. It’s a beginner-friendly spot that *rarely breaks*, so when it does, it’s a bit of an event. The water’s sitting at 55.5°, which is pretty normal for this time of year, so no shocks there.

The week kicks off with a small but promising window on Wednesday afternoon, August 19th. A light 3.0ft SW swell rolls in, with a long 15-second period, and a gentle N breeze keeping it glassy. The energy’s weak (336), but it’s clean and the break is fairly exposed, so for a rarely-breaking spot, this is a solid little session.

Thursday morning, August 20th, drops to 2.0ft SW, but the period jumps to 17 seconds – very long period groundswell. With NW cross-off winds, it’s clean, but the swell’s tiny. The energy (449) is still weak. Afternoon picks up a touch to 3.3ft from the WSW, period 13 seconds, and energy (592) – still marginal, but clean.

Friday, August 21st, is where things start to rumble. Morning sees 5.9ft WSW swells, 15-second period, and the energy jumps to 2318 – that’s moderate to strong. WNW cross-off winds keep it clean. It’s a bit much for total beginners, but for those with a few sessions under their belt, it’s lining up. By Friday afternoon, it’s pumping 9.8ft WSW, 14-second period, energy a ripping 4780. That’s a lot of power. This is expert territory now.

Saturday, August 22nd, holds the 9.8ft SW swell, but the wind swings W, going cross-shore. The morning is a gentle cross-shore with slight chop, energy 3801. Afternoon lightens up, wind 6 mph, but still cross-shore with small ripples. It’s big and powerful, but the quality drops a bit without the pure offshore.

Sunday, August 23rd, is the standout of the first week. Clear skies, NW cross-off winds, 8.2ft SW swell at 13 seconds, energy 2935. That’s solid, clean, and for experienced surfers, it’s excellent. The afternoon is even better – 7.2ft SW, 13 seconds, but with a light WNW breeze, energy 2214. Clean, punchy, and the best of the lot.

Monday, August 24th, drops back to 5.9ft SW, 14-second period, with NW winds at 12 mph in the morning – still clean, energy 1358. Afternoon is lighter, 5.9ft SW, 13 seconds, WNW breeze, energy 1166. Good, but not the stand-out.

Then things turn ugly. Tuesday, August 25th, the wind shifts SE then SSE, cross-onshore and choppy. Swell is 5.6ft to 4.6ft, but the wind ruins it. Scores are zero. Wednesday, August 26th, is cross-onshore from the ESE, swell 8.2ft to 9.8ft, but the wind’s on it. The setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Thursday, August 27th, sees a brief window of clean, small waves – 2.6ft SW, 15-second period, NW offshore, energy 493. Nice, but tiny.

Friday, August 28th, is a monster. 9.8ft SW, 13-second period, energy 6264 – that’s strong. NW cross-off wind, clean. This is big, powerful, and for experts only. The afternoon is even bigger – 11.5ft SW, 16-second period, glassy with NNW airs, energy 5871. The swell is too big for this break, but for the brave, it’s epic.

Saturday, August 29th, holds the 11.5ft to 13.1ft swells, but the wind goes cross-off from the NE in the morning, then cross-on from the ESE in the afternoon. Too big, too much energy. Sunday, August 30th, drops to 9.8ft SSW, 11 seconds, with NE cross-off in the morning – clean, but still big. Energy 2265.

Monday, August 31st, is a nice reset. 5.6ft SW, 16-second period, NE cross-off, energy 2178. Clean, long period, excellent for experienced surfers. Afternoon holds the same, 5.6ft SW, 15 seconds, ENE cross-off, energy 2134. A solid day.

Tuesday, September 1st, is similar but smaller – 4.3ft SW, 14 seconds, NE cross-off, energy 1039. Clean and fun. The rest of the first week of September is a mix of 3.6ft to 3.9ft SW swells, glassy or cross-off winds, but the energy drops to the 400-700 range. It’s a gentle taper.

The real standout is Sunday, August 23rd, with the 8

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