Fistral-South Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good, hard look at what’s coming down the line for this stretch of coast. I’ll be straight with you—it’s a bit of a mixed bag, and we’ve got to wade through some flat, choppy days to find the few moments that are actually worth paddling out for. The water’s sitting at 65°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing your tail off while you’re waiting for a set that never comes.

We kick off the first weekend, Saturday the 1st of August and Sunday the 2nd, with tiny, weak swell. We’re looking at waves around 2 ft to 1.0 ft from the West, and the wind is either cross-on or onshore. The combined energy is low, down in the 30s and 40s (56, 47, 35). It’s not really surfable; just small, choppy junk. Monday the 3rd offers a tiny glimmer early with a glassy morning and a 3 ft WSW swell, but the energy is still very weak (96) and the waves are ordinary. Not worth getting too excited about.

The middle of the first week gets a bit of a bump in size, but the quality is rough. From Tuesday the 4th through Thursday the 6th, we see a jump in swell height, topping out at 5 ft to 5 ft on Wednesday the 5th from the WSW and W. The combined energy climbs into the 200s (243, 259, 218), which is moderate, but the period is a short, crumbly 7 seconds. Add in fresh cross-onshore winds from the W and WNW, and you get lumpy, choppy, blown-out conditions. It’s not going to be clean. For the experts, that 5 ft+ might feel a bit hefty with the wind chop, but the short period and onshore wind make it a messy one. I’d say this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, to be honest.

Friday the 7th through to Monday the 10th is a real low point. The swell drops back to 1.0 ft to 4 ft with weak energy, and the winds are mostly cross-on or onshore from the NNW and N. The combined energy is pathetic, in the 20s and 30s on the 8th (23, 28). There’s just nothing to work with. You’d be better off checking the tide pools.

The standout moment, and the only real bright spot in this whole 16-day window, lands mid-month. Fistral-South (United Kingdom) on Wednesday the 12th of August. The morning is the call. We’ve got a 3 ft swell rolling in from the West with a 10-second period, which carries a bit of groundswell energy—enough for a decent wave shape. The combined energy hits 146, which is respectable. But the real magic is the wind: offshore from the SE at 6 mph. That means clean, peeling faces. The water is still that touch warmer than normal, so it’ll be pleasant. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The afternoon turns onshore from the NW, so it’s a morning-only session. No doubt about it, this is the best on offer. The offshore wind and that long-period swell will make for some proper lines. It’s a consistent break, so you know it’ll be producing, but locals know that, so expect crowds to be possible.

After that, things blow out again. Thursday the 13th and Friday the 14th have more cross-on winds and messy, lumpy conditions as the swell drops back to 2 ft to 3 ft. The period shortens, and the energy fades into the 60s and 120s. We get a weird spike on the 14th afternoon with a 5 ft N swell, but it’s a 6-second period and onshore wind—just a messy close-out wall.

The final weekend, Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th of August, is a frustrating finish. The swell is there at 4 ft to 5 ft from the NW and WNW, with moderate energy in the 80s (167 on Sunday morning), but the winds are cross-on or cross-off and strong, making for lumpy, choppy conditions. Sunday morning the 16th has a clean cross-off wind from the ENE blowing at 12 mph, but it’s breaking over a short 6-second period, so the shape will be poor. It’s another one for the kites, not your longboard.

So, the short version? We’ve got a long gap of flat or blown-out surf from the start until we hit that single golden window on the morning of Wednesday the 12th. If you want a clean wave, that’s your shot. After that, it’s back to the choppy stuff. Don’t hold your breath for anything else.

Stay frothy.
Rusty.

Read more