Freshwater West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at the charts for the next couple weeks, and I gotta be straight with you—it’s a rough stretch for Freshwater West (Pembrokeshire). The wind’s just not playing ball, and when it does, the swell is tiny or sloppy. There’s a lot of days where you’ll be better off staying home, but let’s break it down.

Right now, Monday afternoon, the water’s sitting at 65°—that’s 4° warmer than usual for this time of year, so it’s much warmer than normal, which is a bit of a treat for the skin. But the waves? A solid 7 ft swell from the west with a 10-second period, and the combined energy is moderate at 922. The problem is that 19 mph cross-onshore wind is making it a lumpy, messy mess. This is a beach and reef setup that’s exposed, and with that wind, it’s more of a kite-surfing show than a surf session.

Tuesday and Wednesday? The swell drops to around 3 ft to 6 ft, but the wind is onshore or cross-onshore from the SW or S, with speeds up to 22 mph. The energy is weak (148 to 389), and the short period (5-9 seconds) means weak, choppy waves. Not worth paddling out.

Thursday the 3rd through Friday the 4th sees a bit more size—up to 7 ft on Friday morning—but again, cross-onshore wind from the WNW at 16 mph keeps it messy. The energy is moderate (580 on Friday morning), but the quality is poor. That WSW swell is trying, but the wind is killing it.

Now, here’s a small glimmer. Saturday morning, September 5th. The swell drops to 3 ft from the WSW, 9-second period, with a light ESE breeze at 6 mph that’s cross-offshore. The combined energy is weak at 149, but the wind is light, and the conditions are clean. This is the closest we get to decent surf in the whole run—surfable waves, but very ordinary conditions. It’s not a standout, but it’s the best of a bad bunch. The break is consistent, so you might snag a few clean, small runners. Crowds are sometimes around, so it might be a bit busy.

After that, it’s a long gap. From Saturday afternoon through to the end of the forecast, the swell is tiny—2 ft and dropping to 0.3 ft by mid-September. The wind is often cross-offshore or cross, but the energy is pitiful (7 to 86). A few days like Sunday the 6th morning have clean conditions, but with 2 ft from the WSW, there’s nothing to ride. The period stays short (8-9 seconds) until the very end, where on September 15th we see a 13-second period, but with only 0.7 ft of swell—essentially flat.

So, overall? There’s one passable window on Saturday morning the 5th for small, clean waves if you’re desperate. Otherwise, this area is in a quiet spell, which isn’t unusual for this part of the world. Wait for the next forecast change.

Rusty

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