Fistral-North Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Fistral North has got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks. I'll be straight with you – it's a slow start and a frustrating watch for the most part, but there is one wild card that might make the wait worthwhile if you're a seasoned local.

The first recommendation for a surf doesn’t show up until Thursday the 23rd of July, and even then it’s a "suck it and see" situation. Before that, Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd are a write-off with dirty, choppy, small wind swell pushing in from the north. Just leave the board in the car.

Thursday the 23rd morning offers the first real glimmer. The early session sees some light, glassy conditions as the wind drops to a slight air from the ESE. The swell is small at 3 ft from the NNW, pushing through at a short 6 seconds. The energy is weak as a kitten (67), so it’s not going to be pumping, but for a quick shoulder-high novelty wave with no wind, it’s about the best we’ve got all week. It's surfable but ordinary. After that, we drop back into the doldrums with tiny, poor surf right through to the end of July.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. On Sunday the 26th of July, the energy jumps right up. We’re looking at a combined swell energy of 585 – that's strong, serious energy. The swell hits 7 ft from the WNW with a period of 8 seconds. That’s a proper amount of water moving around. But here’s the catch, and it’s a big one: the wind is onshore from the NNW at 19 mph. For a fairly exposed beach break like Fistral-North, that’s going to be a messy, lumpy, blown-out mess. With swell that big (over 7 ft) and onshore wind, this is only for experts, and even then, it'll be a battle. The setup honestly looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The pattern continues into Monday the 27th of July with another 7 ft of WNW swell, but the wind stays ugly from the NNW. Still heavy energy (363), but blown out. This keeps up through Tuesday the 28th as the swell drops.

After some more tiny days, we have a potential redemption arc. Thursday the 30th of July, the wind swings around to a fresh ESE at 22 mph, going clean offshore. The swell is tiny, only 1.0 ft to 1 ft from the WNW, with a 9-second period. The energy is low (25), but with those clean, offshore conditions, the lines might have a bit of shape. This is a true glass-half-full, micro-session for the patient surfer who just needs to get wet.

The same holds for Saturday the 1st of August morning – a clean, offshorish breeze with 2 ft swell from the west. It’s still weak, but clean.

If I have to call out a standout, against all odds, it’s that Thursday 23rd of July morning. The glassy conditions and that small but rideable 3 ft are the only real opportunity for a clean, fun wave without getting absolutely worked. The big swell on the 26th and 27th has the power, but the wind ruins it for paddle surfing. That one is for the chargers only, and honestly, they’d have a better time on a twin-tip. Week two looks small and mostly wind-affected. Don't book the time off work just yet.

Rusty.

Read more