Fistral-South Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Straight up, I’ve got to be honest with you – this is a grim run. There’s no surf worth talking about for the first twelve days. Nothing. The forecast is a flat spell with tiny, weak ripples. From Saturday the 8th of August right through to Wednesday the 19th, the swell barely gets above 4ft, and the quality is just poor. The wind is mostly messy, cross-onshore, or too strong, and the wave energy is weak – the combined energy of all swells sits at just 19 to 275 (weak to moderate). It’s a real bummer.

The first real chance of something half-decent appears on Thursday the 20th of August. The morning brings a clean, light cross-offshore breeze from the east at 6 mph, with waves around 2ft from the west. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it’s small and weak, but the combined energy is only 54 – very weak. It’s a tease, not a standout.

Then, on Friday the 21st of August, we finally get a small window of hope. The morning is clean with a light SSE breeze at 6 mph, offshore. Waves are 3ft from the west, but the period is only 5 seconds – that’s short, windswell stuff. The combined energy is just 92 (weak). By the afternoon, the wind picks up to a moderate 12 mph offshore from the SSE, and the swell bumps up to 5ft from the west. The period is still short at 6 seconds, and the combined energy hits 191 (moderate). The score says “surfable waves but very ordinary,” and I’d agree. For a desperate surfer, it’s something to paddle, but it’s not a classic.

The real punch comes on Tuesday the 18th of August. But hold on – that’s over a week away. The swell jumps to 8ft from the west-northwest, with a period of 8 seconds. That’s a solid size, but the combined energy is massive – 784 in the morning and 987 in the afternoon (strong to very strong wave energy). The problem is, the wind is onshore from the northwest at 12 to 18 mph, and the report says “unknown” conditions. That’s likely a messy, stormy surf. For a beach break like Fistral-South, that much short-period swell with onshore wind is going to be a washing machine. It’s too big for beginners, and for experts, it’s a grindy, challenging beast. Honestly, with that much wind, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The standouts? There aren’t any proper ones. If I had to pick one, it’s the Friday afternoon on the 21st of August. The offshore wind is a positive, and the 5ft swell is at least a clean shape. But the short period and low energy mean it’s not a day to write home about. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no drama there.

This is a long, flat stretch. Keep your eye on the long-range, but don’t hold your breath. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a wait.

Rusty.

Read more