Forte dei Marmi (Pontille) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get this out there.

The long-range picture for Forte dei Marmi (Pontille) is, to be honest, pretty bleak for paddle surfing. We’re looking at a solid 16-day window, but the first stretch is almost a total washout. There’s barely a bump on the water until around the 29th, and even then, it’s small and messy. You’ll be waiting a good couple of weeks for anything that’s worth getting out of bed for, so keep those boards stored and maybe check the wind forecasts for other plans.

The first real pulse shows up on Saturday morning, the 29th. We get a slight lift to 4ft, but the period is a weak 6 seconds from the WSW with energy still in the moderate range (115). The wind is cross-onshore, and the surf report calls it poor. It’s not going to be worth the drive. The rest of that weekend and into the following week is just small, messy, and often glassy but with nothing behind it. Monday the 31st drops back to 0.7ft and clean, but that’s just flat with a hint of ripple.

Now, if we jump ahead to Wednesday the 9th of September, we see a glimmer. The morning has some glassy conditions and a cleaner 2ft swell pushing in from the WSW, with a period just under 9 seconds. Energy is weak (65), and the report says it’s "surfable but very ordinary." This is the most promising morning in a long stretch of nothing, but honestly, it’s still pretty marginal for a beginner-friendly spot.

Then we get one final, slightly bigger pulse on Friday the 11th. Morning brings 5ft from the SW with an 8-second period and moderate energy (223). But the wind is cross-onshore and it’s showing as "poor surf conditions" and choppy. Afternoon drops slightly to 4ft but the wind stays onshore and messy. For such an exposed beach/jetty setup, this just looks more interesting for a kite session than a surf.

For most of this period, water temps are running much warmer than normal, with the 27th showing 81°F and an anomaly of 5°F—that’s a big deal for the time of year, so at least the water will feel nice even if the waves don’t show. But the reality is, there are long gaps here. From the start all the way through to the 29th, it’s basically flat. And after that little bump, it goes flat again for over a week until that weak, average pulse on the 9th and the messier one on the 11th.

There are no real standouts here. If I had to pick the best on offer, it’s the morning of Wednesday, the 9th—glassy with a bit of shape, but it’s small and weak. The 11th has a bit more size but the wind ruins it. This is shaping up to be one of those stretches where you don’t fight it; you wait. Forecasts can change, and sometimes a late-season groundswell sneaks in, but for now, keep your expectations low and your wetsuit handy.

Rusty.

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