Fistral-South Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next couple of weeks at Fistral-South. I’ll be honest with you, it’s a tough outlook. The forecast is showing plenty of swell on the cards, but the wind just won’t play ball for clean paddling for most of the run. It’s a classic case of "if only."

We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions coming up right from Friday the 28th of August through to at least Thursday the 10th of September – that’s nearly two weeks of looking at the ocean and not wanting to paddle out. The swell energy is all over the place, from weak readings around (70) to some very strong pulses hitting (1374) on the 31st. But the wind is the killer. We’re looking at heavy cross-onshore, onshore, and even near-gale strength winds for days. Even when the swell looks promising, like that 8ft to 10ft stuff at the end of August, it’s going to be blown out and a mess. The water temp is sitting at about 65°F, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but you won't be feeling it through your wetsuit if you're getting blasted by a 31 mph wind.

There is a tiny glimmer on Sunday the 30th of August morning. Swell is 5ft from the WSW with a long 9-second period, giving moderate energy (366). The wind is a cross-offshore from the SSW at 19 mph, and it’s described as clean. That morning session is about the only decent look for a surf in the whole early part of the forecast, but even then, the afternoon turns lumpy and the day before and after are trash.

After that, we run into a massive dead zone. From the end of August all the way through the first week of September, the wind is just relentless. We lose any real surf quality until potentially the latter part of the second week. Around Tuesday the 8th of September, we see a 6ft swell with onshore winds, which isn't great. Then on the 9th, the swell drops to a pathetic 3ft with light winds, but the energy is weak (101).

The only real standout event in this whole 16-day window is way out there on Saturday the 12th of September. It’s far enough out to keep your hopes in check. That afternoon brings a 7ft swell from the West, period of 8 seconds, and strong wave energy (643). But the wind is a fresh cross-onshore at 22 mph, making it messy. Given the size, 7ft with an onshore wind will be a challenging, lumpy wave, more for the experienced crew if it cleans up at all. Considering the strength of the swell (643) compared to the awful wind patterns for the rest of the period, it’s the only day that might offer a window if the wind eases off a fraction. But don't bet the house on it.

Honestly, for 16 days, this is a poor run of surf. There are long gaps of several days with no real recommendations. With the strong winds and consistent swell, the setup here looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of the period. Keep the board in the car and wait for a change in the weather pattern.

Rusty.

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