Fistral-North Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long, hard look at what the sea’s got in store for us at Fistral-North. I won’t lie to you, it’s a tough stretch ahead for most of this forecast, but there’s a little light at the end of the tunnel if you’re patient.

This is a period that starts out flat and messy. For the first ten days or so, from Wednesday the 22nd of July right through to the start of August, it’s a proper struggle. The wave energy is weak to moderate, mostly sitting well below 100 (73) early on, and even when it tries to pick up, the wind is all wrong. We’ve got a lot of cross-onshore slop, and a lot of those swells are short-period windswell, around 5 to 8 seconds, which just doesn't have the shape or power for a decent paddle.

You’ll see a few brief moments of clean conditions. Thursday the 23rd morning, there’s a small 3 ft swell from the NNW, but it’s glassy with a light ENE breeze. The energy is only 76, so it’s small and ordinary – something for a longboard if you’re desperate. Then Saturday the 25th brings a bit more size (5 ft by the afternoon) from the WNW, with combined energy hitting 150, but that fresh 19 mph WNW cross-onshore wind turns it into lumpy, blown-out junk. Sunday the 26th pushes up to 7 ft and 7 ft swells from the WNW, with energy jumping to 482, but again, fresh onshore winds ruin any chance of a decent wave. That’s too big and messy for beginners anyway.

The only real standout in this whole outlook is a couple of days away, on Sunday the 2nd of August. That morning, we get a clean 6 ft swell out of the WSW, with the wind turning offshore from the SSE at a gentle 9 mph. The guidance tells me this is the best on offer. The period is 7 seconds, so it’s a bit short, but that clean offshore wind is going to be a major positive for Fistral-North, giving you some lined-up, groomed faces. The combined energy is solid at 312, so there’s decent push. This is the one to aim for. The afternoon stays clean with an offshore breeze, 6 ft swell and even more energy at 443, so you could have a good session either side of lunch. The water temperature is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year at 64°, so you’ll be comfortable in a summer suit. Crowds are often an issue here, so get there early.

After that, Monday the 3rd sees the wind switch back to a messy cross-shore and the quality drops off fast. The rest of the first week of August is a washout with moderate cross-onshore winds and weak, ordinary surf. By Wednesday the 5th of August, we get a small glassy morning with a 3 ft groundswell (10-second period) from the west, energy at 161, but it’s ordinary at best. Don't get too excited.

So, there’s a real gap of poor conditions from late July until that Sunday the 2nd of August. Stay patient. That Sunday is your best bet for a proper surf.

Rusty.

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