Fairhaven Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s ahead for Fairhaven.

What a strange run this one is. Fairhaven is a spot that rarely breaks, but when it does, it’s a rare treat for the beginner crew. The problem is, for the first few days of the outlook, it’s basically a non-starter for paddle surfing. The swell is way too big for this break, with waves hitting 16 ft on Sunday morning and staying well above 8 ft into Tuesday. Winds are mostly cross-off or cross, but the size means it’s expert-only, if even that. The combined swell energy is enormous, clocking in at 11,049 on Sunday morning, and staying in the thousands for days. Honestly, this setup looks way more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing during this first stretch.

We finally get a window where things settle down. By the morning of Wednesday the 16th, the swell drops to a more manageable 8 ft from the southwest, period at a chunky 14 seconds – that’s a nice long-period groundswell. Winds are light and cross-off, keeping things clean. The combined energy is still a hefty 2,014 (moderate energy), but for an experienced surfer, this is where Fairhaven starts to look good. The real standout is Thursday the 16th afternoon and Friday the 17th. Thursday afternoon has 8 ft swell, but Friday is the gem: Friday afternoon sees 8 ft from the southwest, a 15-second period, and glassy winds. That is pristine. Expect good shape, long lines, and clean conditions. The water temp is about average for this time of year. The downside? Crowds are often a thing here, so don’t expect to have it empty.

After that, the swell backs off into the second week. Saturday the 18th still has fun 5 ft swell with cross-off winds, but the drop-off is real. Sunday the 19th sees a 3 ft, 20-second period swell with fresh offshore wind – that’s a tiny, long-period swell that will struggle at a beach setup like this, but might offer a few clean, peelers if you’re patient. From Monday the 20th onward, the swell picks up again but quickly becomes too big for this break once we hit the 21st and 22nd, with 10 ft and 13 ft waves. It’s a big finish, but too rough for this spot. After the 22nd, it’s a mix of poor wind and big, lumpy cross-on conditions through to the 26th. Not worth it.

So, your best bet is to circle Friday the 17th afternoon. It’s the clear standout: solid 8 ft southwest swell, a long period of 15 seconds, and glassy conditions. That’s the day to paddle out. Thursday the 16th afternoon is the backup. The rest of the run is either too big, too small, or too messy for Fairhaven.

Rusty.

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