Fairhaven Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Imperial Units

Alright, let’s talk Fairhaven. This spot is a bit of a tricky one, and honestly, we’ve got a long wait ahead. The first few days of this run are a write-off. The swell is just too big, hitting 13 feet on the Saturday morning with a nasty cross-shore wind, and it stays solid and messy through the weekend. The wave energy is absolutely pumping, with readings like 11562 and 13427, but it’s all just too much for this break. We’re looking at a gap of several days before anything becomes surfable.

The real window opens up on Sunday, the 23rd of August. The morning is the standout. The swell drops to a manageable 8 feet from the SW, with a period of 14 seconds, and a light NW breeze cleans it right up. The combined energy is still a hefty 3403, but for experienced surfers, this is the one. It’s clean, it’s got power, and it’s the best on offer. Afternoon gets a little cross, but still decent.

Monday the 24th is a solid follow-up. The morning has a 6 foot SW swell with a cross-off breeze, keeping it clean. The afternoon is even better with 6 feet and glassy conditions from a light NW air. Wave energy is moderate, around 1193 to 1432, and the shape should be good. This is a great session for a beginner to get amongst it, just keep an eye on the tide.

The rest of the week is a mixed bag. Tuesday and Wednesday are plagued by light rain and onshore winds, making for choppy, marginal conditions. The swell is there, 5 feet to 7 feet, but the wind just kills it. Thursday the 27th of August is a nice little reprieve with a clean 4 foot morning swell and offshore winds, perfect for a longboard or a fish. The afternoon picks up to 5 feet, still clean.

Then we get another big pulse around Friday the 28th of August. The swell jumps to 8 feet from the WSW with a long 17-second period, and the wind is cross-off, keeping it clean. The energy is 3301 – this is a powerful, lined-up groundswell. It’s going to be a bit too straight for the beach break, but if you’re an expert, the reefs and points are going to be firing. The best of this pulse is the afternoon with a 7 foot SW swell and a 16-second period, 2320 energy, and light winds. This is a top-tier session for the experienced crew.

The last weekend of August is a mess. Saturday the 29th sees onshore wind and a 7 foot swell, and Sunday the 30th is just too big again, with 10 feet to 13 foot swells and onshore wind. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

Now, the real standout in the second week is Monday the 31st of August. The morning is absolutely glassy, with an 8 foot SW groundswell (16 seconds) and zero wind. The energy is 3515. This is a rare, perfect window of clean, powerful surf. It’s for experts only at that size, but it’s the best of the entire run. Tuesday the 1st of September is still big but gets messy with onshore winds.

The rest of the first week of September is a mixed bag. Wednesday the 2nd is poor, Thursday the 3rd of September has a great morning with a 6 foot SW swell and offshore NNW wind, clean and punchy. Friday the 4th of September is too big again at 12 feet, a real kite-surfing day. The final real highlight is Saturday the 5th of September. The morning has a clean 7 foot SW swell with offshore wind, and the afternoon goes glassy with a 6 foot SW swell. That’s a beautiful, long, clean session to finish the run.

So, to sum it up: the best on offer is the morning of Sunday the 23rd of August for the first big clean swell, and the morning of Monday the 31st of August for the glassy, powerful groundswell. The mornings of the 3rd and 5th of September are also excellent. It’s a slow start, but there are some real gems in there.

Rusty.

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