Freshwater West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s take a look at what’s coming up over the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, this is a tough one. The whole 16-day window is a real mixed bag, and it’s mostly a case of waiting for windows that just don’t open up properly. The forecast is pretty much a write-off for the first week and a half, with a big gap of nothing but poor surf conditions. There’s a bit of a pulse trying to build right at the end, but it’s a long way off and the wind is going to be the main issue all the way through.

Let’s start with Freshwater West (Pembrokeshire). It’s a consistent, exposed beach and reef setup that’s best with a W swell, but the wind is just not playing ball. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so nothing to worry about there.

From Tuesday the 4th of August right through to the morning of Monday the 11th of August, it’s a total blank. The swell is tiny, the period is short, and the wind is on it or cross-on it all day. The combined energy is weak, bouncing between 19 and 103. Surfable? No chance. This is a long stretch of flat and messy conditions.

Things don’t really get going until the 12th of August, but even then, it’s not great. Wednesday the 12th of August morning sees a clean, cross-off wind from the SE, but the swell is a tiny 1.0 ft from the WSW with a period of 10 seconds. That’s a long period for that size, and the energy is only 43. It’s surfable on a log, but you’ll be hunting for knee-high waves. The afternoon gets a bit more energy (130) but the wind swings onshore, so it’s messy.

The 13th and 14th of August are similar – a bit more swell, around 3 ft, but the wind is straight onshore, making it poor. The energy is moderate (around 130-151), but it’s just not clean.

Then there’s a bit of a tease. The 18th of August, Tuesday morning, sees a jump in swell to 6 ft with a 6-second period and a combined energy of 243. By the afternoon it’s 7 ft, period 7 seconds, and energy 376. That’s a moderate swell, but it’s short period, windswell, and the wind is a fresh 22 mph onshore. It’s going to be a messy, lumpy, and probably blown-out mess. That’s not for the faint-hearted, and honestly, it looks more like a day for the kites to get out than for a clean paddle. It’s only for experts if they’re feeling brave.

The 19th of August, Wednesday morning, is a bit better in theory with a 5 ft swell from the NW, but the wind is cross-on from the WNW at 12 mph, and the energy is 230. It’s going to be choppy again.

So, the best of a bad bunch? You’d have to say the morning of the 12th of August is the cleanest, but it’s tiny. The 18th and 19th of August have the most size, but the wind ruins it. There’s no standout. It’s a frustrating outlook for the area.

Rusty.

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