Fistral-South Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for Fistral-South over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – the first few days are a real struggle. We’re looking at a solid gap with no real surf on offer from Monday the 24th right through to the end of August. The swell is tiny, barely a wobble, and even when we get a bit of an offshore breeze on Tuesday afternoon, the waves are just too small to get excited about. It’s a flat spell, and it’s gonna feel like a long one.

We finally start to see a pulse of energy around Thursday the 27th. The combined energy jumps to 168, and we get a 3 ft swell from the SW with a clean 11-second period. The wind is cross-off, but the wave comment says it’s still poor surf conditions. A bit frustrating. By Thursday afternoon, the swell builds to 6 ft from the SW, but the wind swings cross-on and it gets messy. The energy is strong at 702, but it’s not for paddling.

Friday the 28th sees a 4 ft swell from the WSW with a short 8-second period. The wind is light cross-shore in the morning, but the conditions are still rated poor. The energy is moderate at 209, but the short period means the waves are weak and soft.

Heading into the weekend, it’s onshore winds and lumpy conditions. The swell sticks around 4 ft to 4 ft, but the wind is howling from the WSW at 19-25 mph. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th are write-offs for a decent paddle. The energy is moderate (144-189), but the wind just destroys the surface.

Monday the 31st blows up with a 7 ft to 7 ft W/NW swell, but it’s cross-on and lumpy with fresh winds. The energy is strong at 594-678, but that’s more for the kite crowd than us. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Tuesday the 1st of September is the same story – onshore wind and a lumpy 5 ft wave.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Wednesday the 2nd of September morning is a small 4 ft W swell with clean cross-off winds. The energy is only 132, but it’s clean. But the real standout is Wednesday afternoon. The swell jumps to 10 ft from the WSW with a 9-second period. The combined energy is 952 (strong wave energy). The wind is cross-off from the SSW at 22 mph, which is fresh, but it’s clean. This is a proper pulse of energy. That’s a big swell – over 8 ft – so this is only for experts. The period is short, so it’ll be a bit dumpy, but the power is there.

The next few days after that are a mess. Thursday the 3rd sees a massive 10 ft swell from the W with strong energy (1256), but the wind is cross-on and choppy. Friday the 4th and Saturday the 5th are onshore, lumpy, and windy. Sunday the 6th of September brings a very long period swell from the W. We’re talking 19 seconds in the morning and 17 seconds in the afternoon. The swell is 5 ft, and the combined energy is very strong (1869 and 1586). The wind is onshore from the NNW, so the conditions are marginal. This is a groundswell, and with that kind of period, it’s going to break straight and fast. This is best for a point break or reef, not a beach break like Fistral. The energy is huge, but the wind is a problem.

The best chance for a decent surf comes on Monday the 7th of September. The swell is 5 ft from the WNW with a long 14-second period. The combined energy is strong at 1157. The wind is light cross-shore from the WSW at 6 mph. That’s glassy. The wave comment says “marginal surf forecast,” but the energy and wind are there. For a surfer, this is the one to watch. The long period will give better shaped waves with more energy, but at a beach break, it can be a bit straight. Still, with light wind, it’s the best on offer.

Tuesday the 8th of September closes out with a 8 ft W swell and onshore wind. Not great.

So, the standout for the whole period is Monday the 7th of September. The swell is 5 ft from the WNW, period is a long 14 seconds, combined energy is 1157, and the wind is light cross-shore. That’s a clean, powerful session for the experienced crew. Wednesday the 2nd of September afternoon is a close second, but that 10 ft swell is only for the brave.

Keep an eye on the long-range stuff for the 7th. It’s promising, but a week and a half out, don’t book the day off work just yet.

Rusty.

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