Fishermans (Rhiw) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for Fishermans (Rhiw). I’ll be straight with you – this outlook is a tough one. The whole 16-day window is a long, flat spell with only a couple of very brief moments that might get your heart beating, but don’t expect much.

The water is sitting at a balmy 65° , which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a solid 4° above the average. That’s a real treat for the skin, but it doesn’t make up for the lack of swell.

We start with a whole lot of nothing. From Thursday, 20th August, right through to the morning of Friday, 28th August, there is basically no surf worth mentioning. The energy is tiny, with combined swell energy readings staying in the weak double digits (27, 14, 15, 10, 16, 8, 9, 17, 10, 31, 10, 45, 32, 28, 20, 25). The swell heights are pathetic, mostly 0.3 ft to 2 ft with a very short period, and the wind is often cross-off or even onshore. It’s a total write-off for nearly nine days. You’d be better off finding a new hobby.

Then, on Friday afternoon the 28th of August, things finally get a pulse. We see a 5 ft swell from the SW, but it has a short period of 5 seconds and the wind is a messy cross-onshore. The combined energy hits a moderate 113. It’s poor surf conditions, and with that short period and chop, it’s more of a messy bump than a wave. This is not a standout.

The real action, such as it is, happens on Saturday, 29th August. The morning brings a 7 ft swell from the WSW, but once again the period is a weak 7 seconds. The wind is a fresh cross-shore, creating lumpy, choppy conditions. The combined energy here is a strong 394. This is the biggest swell of the window, but it’s a messy, lumpy beast. For a reef break, this is not ideal. The size (7 ft) puts it solidly into expert territory, and the onshore-lumpy cross-shore wind will make it a battle. This is the only time the surf might be big enough to be interesting, but the quality is poor. The afternoon drops to 6 ft with a cross-onshore wind and a combined energy of 213 – still poor.

After that, the energy fades back into the weak double digits for the rest of the window. There’s a brief moment on Sunday morning, 30th August, with a 3 ft glassy swell, but the period is a short 6 seconds and energy is only 68. The forecast says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions" – and that’s exactly what it is: ordinary. The rest of the week is a washout with tiny, weak swells and often strong winds or onshores.

So, where’s the best? Honestly, there’s no standout. The biggest surf is on Saturday, 29th August, but it’s a lumpy, expert-only mess. If you’re desperate, the Sunday morning 30th August offers the cleanest conditions with glassy winds, but the swell is tiny. For a break like Fishermans (Rhiw), which is a fairly consistent reef, this is a truly disappointing run. The long swell gap at the start is a killer. With the cross-shore winds and the size of that Saturday swell, this setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Keep your eyes on the charts, but for now, I’d say save your energy. This is a flat spell you won’t forget.

Rusty.

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