Fishermans (Rhiw) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Okay, let’s talk about what’s happening on the coast here. Honestly, mate, it’s a tough run for Fishermans (Rhiw). This is a reef setup that takes a south-west swell, and over the next two weeks, the ocean just isn’t cooperating.

We start with a stretch of flat to tiny, clean but useless waves through Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd of August. The water’s sitting around 65°F with a big anomaly of 4°F – that’s much warmer than normal for this time of year, which feels weird for the end of summer. But with a 0.3ft swell from the south-west and a super long 15-second period, there’s just no push. The combined energy is barely a whisper (10). It’s a no-go.

Monday the 24th through Wednesday the 26th offer a slight bump, but nothing you’d paddle out for. Swells stay under 0.7ft, energy readings are low (20 or less), and the winds are a mess – cross-shore, cross-on, and choppy. There’s a window on Thursday the 27th morning with a 1ft swell and clean offshore wind from the north-east, but the period is a short 7 seconds and energy is still only 34. It’s not enough.

Then Thursday afternoon the 27th gets interesting, but not in a good way. The swell jumps to 4ft from the south-southwest with a 31 mph near-gale onshore wind. Combined energy hits 150 (moderate), but that wind blows it straight out. Forget it. Friday the 28th morning is your only real chance of the entire outlook. You get a 3ft south-west swell – still small – but the north-east offshore wind is clean, 12 mph, and the conditions are “moderate offshore and clean”. The energy is 91, so it’s weak, but for a reef break that’s usually picky, it’s the cleanest window you’ll get. Even then, it’s barely surfable.

From Saturday the 29th of August all the way through to Sunday the 6th of September, it’s a grim picture. Swell heights bounce between 2ft and 6ft, but the period drops to 4-8 seconds – short, choppy junk. The winds turn onshore or strong cross-onshore, hitting 28 mph in some spots. Energy readings climb into the 200s on the 4th of September (Friday), but that’s just a 5ft to 6ft west-southwest swell being hammered by 22-25 mph winds. The ocean is messy, lumpy, and blown out. It’s more of a kite-surfing scene than a proper paddle session.

The closest thing to a standout is Friday morning, 28th of August, at Fishermans (Rhiw). It’s the only time you get clean, offshore conditions, even with small, weak swell. If you’re desperate, that’s your window. But honestly, it’s a long blank run – over a week of poor (0/10) ratings. That’s normal for this area when the wind and swell don’t align.

Rusty.

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