Fairhaven Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Rusty here again. Let’s run through Fairhaven in feet and miles per hour.

First up, this Sunday morning, the 30th of August, it’s looking promising. We’ve got a clean 8ft SW groundswell with a long 13-second period, and it’s glassy. The water energy is pumping at 1973, which is moderate but solid for this spot. This is one of the true standouts of the forecast, offering excellent conditions for experienced surfers, though the size (over 8ft) makes it expert-only.

Monday morning, the 31st, also looks good: clean 8ft SW swell, period stretching to 14 seconds, energy at 2718, and glassy conditions again. Another standout for those with the skills.

Things get tricky from Tuesday the 1st. The swell drops to 7ft SW with a 15-second period, and while the wind is fresh offshore (19 mph from NNW), the written note says it’s marginal, likely due to tide. The energy is still decent at 2237, but the quality isn’t as high.

The real problem hits on Wednesday the 2nd. The swell jumps to 12ft from WSW with a 16-second period, and the energy is a massive 8169. The wind is clean, but the note clearly says it’s too big for this break. This pattern continues for over a week: from the 2nd of September right through to the 10th of September, the swell stays well over 10ft, often hitting 13ft, 16ft, or even 20ft, with energy values regularly in the thousands (like 10,211 on the 3rd, 17,712 on the 5th, and 17,917 on the 9th). While the wind is often offshore or clean, it’s just too much water for Fairhaven, which rarely breaks as it is. This stretch is strictly for big-wave experts only, and even then, it’s a question of whether the spot can handle it. For beginners or regular surfers, it’s a hard pass.

We then get a gap on the 10th of September with some easing, but the next real standout comes on Friday the 11th of September. The afternoon session is looking golden: a clean 10ft SW groundswell with a 16-second period, glassy wind from the ESE, and energy at 4403. The notes call it excellent and the best score of the whole run. It’s still big (expert-level), but the conditions are about as perfect as they get for this break.

Saturday the 12th and Sunday the 13th offer smaller, cleaner options (8ft to 6ft) with lighter winds, but nothing reaches the quality of that Friday afternoon. The final session on Monday the 14th is clean with a 7ft WSW swell, but it’s a drop-off. There are no recommendations for the first week after the initial swell pulses, but the 11th of September is the highlight to circle on the calendar.

Look, Fairhaven is a spot that rarely shows up, so when it does, you have to grab it. The first two days are the pick for the cleaner, glassy conditions, but be warned, the mid-period is all stormy and oversized. The water temperature anomaly is normal for this time of year.

Rusty out.

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