Fistral-North Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Fistral-North over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta say, it’s gonna be a tough stretch for a paddle. The water’s sittin’ at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – so you can leave the thickest winter steamer at home, but you’ll still want a decent suit.

We’ve got a bit of a dry spell to start. There’s nothing really worth getting excited about until Tuesday the 25th. That morning, we’ve got a small 2ft W swell rollin’ in, with a period of 10 seconds and a light east wind, making for clean conditions. The combined wave energy is weak (63), so it’s tiny, but it’s rideable. That afternoon, the wind swings offshore from the ESE, cleaning it up even more, with the swell nudging up to 2ft. It’s not gonna set the world on fire, but if you’re desperate for a paddle, it’s your best early shot.

Then we hit a proper funk. From Wednesday the 26th through to the end of August, it’s a real mix of weak, short-period swell and funky winds. The swell hangs around 1ft to 4ft, but the period is a miserable 7 to 8 seconds, and the wind is all over the shop – cross, cross-on, and sometimes fresh. The energy is low to moderate, but the quality is just poor. The best of a bad lot is Friday the 28th morning, with a 3ft SW swell and a clean offshore SSE breeze, but it’s still a very ordinary wave.

The start of September doesn’t bring any relief. We get a size jump, but the wind is a killer. Tuesday the 1st sees the swell pump up to 10ft from the W, with a period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy is a massive 1814 – that’s strong wave energy. But the wind is a strong cross-shore from the SW, and the conditions are described as messy. This is big, powerful, and ugly. For the experienced crew only, and even then, it’s going to be a battle. Honestly, with that much energy and messy cross-shore wind, this setup might be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The pattern continues through the first week of September: plenty of swell size, but always with a cross or cross-on wind. The best chance for a decent wave in the whole run looks like Tuesday the 8th. The morning delivers a 5ft W swell, period of 9 seconds, with a light S wind and a clean offshore feel. The energy is moderate (326). This is the one standout, offering good surf conditions. It’s not huge, but it’s clean and rideable, and that’s a rare thing in this forecast. The swell direction is a solid W, which works well with the optimum WSW swell direction for Fistral-North.

The final few days of the outlook, around the 9th, see another big pulse of swell – 8ft from the W with a long period of 11 seconds (groundswell). The energy is 1466, strong. But again, the wind is onshore from the W, so it’s going to be a choppy, blown-out mess. That long period will make things even more unruly at a beach break like Fistral, so it’s likely a pass.

So, to sum it up: the opening week is tiny and mediocre, the middle part is big and messy, and the only real window for a clean surf is Tuesday the 8th of September. Hold out for that one.

Rusty.

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