Fistral-South Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the 16-day window is looking pretty grim for a proper surf. We’ve got one short window of clean, rideable waves, and a whole lot of waiting around. It’s one of those times when you’ve got to be picky about when you paddle out, or you’ll be sitting there watching closeouts and chop.

The Only Real Window

Your best bet – and honestly, the only thing that gets my heart rate up – is the Saturday morning (September 20th) session at Fistral-South. Now, I know it’s a way off, over a week out, so don’t book the time off work just yet. Forecasts can change, but as it stands, it’s the standout. The swell is only around 2 ft from the W, with a period of 9 seconds. It’s not gonna be a world-beater, but the wind is what makes it. A light ENE breeze is gonna be blowing off it, cleaning up those little lines. The water is a touch warmer than average for this time of year, which is a small win. There’s a bit of energy in the water with a combined swell energy of 71 – weak, but present. When it’s this small, I’d almost prefer the consistency over raw power. It’s a clean, cruisy wave for the log or a fun twinny. Just be aware, the crowds can be around, so maybe get your coffee to go and be on it early.

What Happens Before That? A Whole Lot of Nothing

The next ten or so days? Honestly, it’s a write-off for the most part.

The coming week is full of poor conditions. On Saturday, September 5th, we see a pulse of 5 ft swell at 11 seconds, but it’s coming from the WNW and the wind is on it. You’re looking at a 10 km/h light breeze that will do nothing to help, leaving it a bit lumpy.

There’s a bigger pulse of swell arriving for Monday, September 7th, with wave heights jumping to 7 ft from the W with a 13-second period. The combined energy is strong, at 1632, so there’s a lot of water moving. But 25 km/h cross-onshore winds are going to shred it. It’ll be a choppy mess, and in that size, it’s only for the experienced guys, anyway. It’s a real shame to see that kind of energy get blown out.

After that, it backs off but stays messy. Through the middle of the week, we get a mix of onshore and cross-on winds, with a few long-period swells like the 12 seconds on Tuesday, September 15th, but the size drops right off to 1 ft. That’s a massive drop from the 2-meter stuff earlier.

The week starting September 14th gets pretty desperate. Swell heights are below 2 ft, and we’ve got strong northerly winds kicking up chop. You’re just staring at a flat, blown-out ocean. There’s plenty of wind about, but it’s all onshore. At this point, the beachies would be more interesting for the kite crew than for us paddle surfers.

There are a few days around the 11th to the 13th where the swell drops to 2 ft and the wind goes offshore, but the energy is weak, with values in the double digits. It’s not enough to get you into a proper wave, just some lumpy closeouts.

So, keep your eyes on that Saturday the 20th. It’s the only clean, glassy morning in the whole window. If that changes, it’s a long two weeks of waiting. Forecasts can always change this far out, but the pattern looks stubborn.

Rusty.

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