Fistral-South Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m gonna level with you. This forecast for Fistral-South is a rough one. Looking at the next couple of weeks, there’s hardly a single window of clean, rideable surf. We’re staring down a long stretch of weak, messy, or just plain blown-out conditions, so if you’re hoping to paddle out, you’re going to need some patience.

We start off on Monday, the 24th of August, and it’s already a write-off. The swell is barely a whisper at 0.7 ft from the WSW with a 9-second period on Monday morning, and it doesn’t get any better into the afternoon. The wind is howling out of the east at 18.6 mph, blowing cross-off, which keeps the surface clean but there is simply nothing to ride. The combined swell energy is a pathetic 14 – just a flat calm with no push.

Tuesday the 25th shows a tiny bump up to 1.6 ft and 2.0 ft, but with a short 10-second period and easterly winds around 12.4 mph, it’s still poor. The wave comment says it all: “poor surf conditions.” By Tuesday afternoon we get a “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” rating, but with a 10-second period and light east wind, it’s barely worth a mention – the energy is only 81.

Wednesday the 26th has a glimmer of hope with a 2.0 ft swell from the west and a light SSE wind at 6.2 mph becoming offshore in the afternoon at just 3.1 mph. The period drops to 8 seconds, though, so it’s a weak, short-period windswell with energy around 64. It’s clean, but with hardly any push, it’s more of a splash-around than a proper surf.

Thursday the 27th is a strange one. Morning is flat and windy – 1.3 ft with a 7-second period and a 18.6 mph southerly breeze – but then Thursday afternoon we see a jump to 5.9 ft from the SW, still with a short 7-second period, but the wind ramps up to 21.7 mph from the SSW, blowing cross-off. The combined energy climbs to 305 (moderate), so there’s some juice, but it’s going to be a messy, choppy mess. That’s a pass.

Friday the 28th brings the first real size, but it’s all wrong. Friday morning sees a 8.2 ft swell from the WNW with an 8-second period and a howling 21.7 mph onshore wind. Combined energy hits 706 – strong – but that’s heavy, onshore, and lumpy, only for the most experienced, and even then, it’s a battle. Friday afternoon drops to 5.2 ft but it’s still messy with onshore winds at 15.5 mph.

The rest of the first week into the second is a grim repeat: moderate to fresh winds, cross-onshore or cross, with swell sizes bouncing between 4.6 ft and 8.2 ft but always accompanied by a poor wave comment. Saturday the 29th afternoon sees 7.5 ft from the west with a 18.6 mph cross-onshore breeze and 588 energy – big but blown to bits. Sunday the 30th is similar: 4.9 ft to 6.2 ft, messy cross-shore winds.

The week of the 31st of August to the 6th of September is no better. Monday the 31st peaks at 8.2 ft from the west with a 9-second period and 1080 energy (very strong), but it’s cross-onshore at 21.7 mph and labeled “poor surf conditions.” Wednesday the 2nd has 6.6 ft to 7.2 ft from the west with a north wind, but again, cross-onshore and choppy.

Finally, on the 8th of September, we get a massive swell – a 11.5 ft from the west with a 16-second period on Tuesday morning, combined energy of a huge 6719. The wind is southerly at 18.6 mph, blowing cross-off, so it’s clean. But the guidance warns that this is “too big for this break.” This is expert-only territory, and even then, the currents and power will be intense. It’s followed by a 9.8 ft on Tuesday afternoon with a 15-second period and a cross-shore wind – again, big, heavy, and only for the brave.

So, what’s the one standout? Honestly, there’s no standout session here. If I had to pick a moment that’s least terrible, it’s the Wednesday morning of the 26th of August, with the 2.0 ft from the west, light offshore SSE wind, and clean conditions. It’s tiny, but it’s the only window that isn't blown out or oversized. For the big-wave hunters, the 8th of September Tuesday morning offers that enormous 11.5 ft west swell, period 16 seconds, and a clean cross-off wind, but it’s a beast for experts only.

Otherwise, the water temp is 64.8°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – about average, so no worries there.

Keep your hopes low for the next two weeks. This is a poor run, and for a spot that

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