Fistral-South Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.

Honestly, it’s a pretty grim run for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a real flat spell on the cards with hardly any proper swell, and when there is a bit of bump, the wind just spoils it. There’s a gap of about two and a half weeks with no real recommendations, so don’t hold your breath for any epic sessions.

The only break on the radar for the whole period is Fistral-South. It picks up swell from the WSW, which is about right for it. The water’s feeling a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, about 65°F with a noticeable anomaly of 3°F – so it’s a bit of a treat on that front, but that’s about the only treat.

Starting off on Monday the 3rd of August, we’ve got some small clean waves first thing. A light SE breeze at 6 mph will keep it glassy, with a tiny 3 ft swell from the WSW at a short 9 seconds. The combined energy is a weak 99, so it’s really only just surfable. But by the afternoon the wind swings SW and gets light and cross, dropping the swell to 2 ft – honestly, it’s poor.

Tuesday the 4th is a write-off. A moderate to fresh SW wind at 16 to 19 mph rips across the face, making a mess of the 3 ft WSW swell (period of just 7 seconds). The energy jumps a little (122 in the morning, 112 in the afternoon), but with that cross-chop, you’re just fighting it.

Wednesday the 5th is the biggest pulse we see for ages, but don’t get excited. A 7 ft swell from the W on Wednesday morning is actually strong energy (453), but it’s hammered by a fresh 19 mph WNW cross-onshore wind. This is a beach-and-reef setup, and with that much wind and lumpy conditions, honestly, you’d be better off with a kite than a paddle. It’s not surfable.

Thursday the 6th is onshore all day from the NW at 12 mph, with dropping swell – 5 ft in the morning then 4 ft in the afternoon. Poor conditions.

Then we hit a really quiet period. From Friday the 7th right through to Tuesday the 18th of August, the swell hardly ever gets above 3 ft, and most of the time it’s hovering around 1.0 ft to 2 ft. The wind is all over the shop – glassy Friday morning (1.0 ft, 9 second period, WSW) and Saturday morning (1.0 ft, WNW) but the swell is tiny, energy in the 20s. Then it’s cross-off, cross-on, onshore… The best you might see is Sunday the 9th morning with a clean 2 ft from the W and a light ENE cross-off breeze, but it’s weak.

The only other little spike is on Sunday the 16th of August – the afternoon brings a 5 ft swell from the N, period of only 6 seconds, with a moderate 12 mph onshore wind. Energy is 200, but it’s messy and short period. Not worth the drive.

So, bottom line: this is a barren stretch for Fistral-South. There is no standout period, not even a single session I’d call good. If you’re desperate for a paddle, the glassy mornings on the 7th or 8th might get you a few tiny little ones, but keep your expectations on the floor. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a long flat spell.

Rusty.

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