Fairhaven Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. We’ve got a solid run of surf coming up at Fairhaven, but you’ll need to pick your moments, especially towards the end of the window when things get big and gnarly.

Right out of the gate, the water temp is sitting at 57°F—right about average for this time of year, nothing to complain about there.

We kick things off on Thursday, 27 August, with a small but clean setup. A 3ft WSW swell rolling in at 12 seconds, with a light NNW cross-off breeze in the morning, keeping things tidy. Combined energy is moderate at 547, so it’s not pumping, but there’s enough push for a fun session on a longboard. Thursday afternoon goes glassy, with a 3ft SW swell and a longer 13-second period, making for some real smooth, peelable walls. It’s a gentle start, but it’s clean.

Now, Friday, 28 August, is where it starts to get interesting. The morning brings an 8ft WSW swell with a 13-second period, cross-off breeze from the WNW at 6 mph, and the combined energy is a hefty 4432—strong, powerful stuff. This is excellent for experienced surfers, but it’s pushing into expert territory. The swell direction is a perfect match for the optimum SW angle, and it’s clean. The afternoon sees a shift to a 8ft SW swell with a very long 16-second period, but the wind goes cross-on, so the magic fades a bit. Still, that morning session is the real standout of the week.

Saturday, 29 August, has a 6ft SW swell with a 14-second period and glassy conditions in the morning. Beautiful, clean waves, but the energy is moderate (1500). It’s a great option for intermediates wanting some fun, uncrowded waves. The afternoon turns cross-on, so stick to the morning.

Sunday, 30 August, holds a 7ft to 8ft SW swell, but the wind is cross-shore or cross-on all day, so the quality drops. The energy is still there (1712 to 1968), but you’ll be dealing with a bit of chop.

Monday, 31 August, is another cracker. Morning brings an 8ft SW swell with a 14-second period and a light cross-off from the NNW. Strong energy at 2949, and it’s clean for experienced surfers. Then Monday afternoon goes totally glassy, with a 8ft SW swell and even stronger energy at 3008. That afternoon session is about as good as it gets—clean, powerful, and lined up. A true standout.

Then we hit a bit of a wall. Tuesday, 1 September, the swell stays solid (7ft, 15-second period) but the wind jumps to 19-22 mph from the NNW. It’s cross-off, so it’s clean, but that much wind makes it a battle. The energy is still high (2241 to 1526), but it’s more of a grunt session. Wednesday, 2 September, sees the swell building to 8ft in the morning, then 12ft in the afternoon with a WSW direction. The energy goes through the roof—7915 in the afternoon—but it’s borderline too big for the break. For the experts only, and even then, it’s a handful.

From Thursday, 3 September, right through to the end of the forecast, the swell is consistently big. 10ft to 18ft, with combined energy values in the thousands (4053 up to a massive 23712). The wind is mostly cross-off or glassy, so it’s clean, but the size is the story. This is big-wave country, and only the most experienced should even look at it. A few of these days, like 6 September, have a 15ft SW swell with a 15-second period and 8029 energy, but with onshore wind or rain, it’s a mess. By 9–11 September, we’re talking 18ft SW swells with 16-second periods and energy over 23,000—that’s a proper ocean event. The break is fairly exposed to the SW, so it’ll be taking all of that energy.

Fairhaven is a rare break, so it’s not always going off, but when it does, it’s a special place. Just know that if you’re not ready for the big stuff, steer clear of the second week. For the best of the best, lock in Monday, 31 August afternoon—glassy, 8ft, SW, 14 seconds, 3008 energy. That’s as good as it gets.

Rusty.

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