Freshwater West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright crew, Rusty here with the goods for Freshwater West.

Let’s be real – the next week and a half is a total bust. There’s a huge gap of nothing from now until the 16th of August. The surf is tiny, the wind is all over the place, and the scores are flat zeros. Tuesday the 11th morning has a tiny 1ft SW swell with a short 6-second period and a cross-off wind, but it’s just poor surf conditions. Wednesday the 12th morning sees a bump to 3ft from the WSW with a 10-second period and moderate energy around 143, but the wind is cross-off and the quality is still poor. Thursday the 13th morning has a solid 3ft WSW swell with a 10-second period and energy of 222, but it’s a NW cross-shore wind making it choppy. The whole first week is a washout.

The wait keeps going. Sunday the 16th afternoon is a tease – glassy conditions with a 1ft WSW swell, but it’s way too small to do anything. Finally, on Monday the 17th of August morning, we get a glimmer. The wind goes offshore from the ENE at 9 mph, and we get a 3ft W swell. The period is a short 6 seconds, so it’s not going to be a classic, but the wave comment says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions" – a score of 1. That’s our best chance in the whole 16-day window. The combined energy is only 98, so it’s weak, but it’s clean. That Monday afternoon has a light cross-off and a 3ft WSW swell with a slightly better 8-second period and energy of 127, which is also surfable if you’re keen.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. Tuesday the 18th morning has a clean 2ft WSW swell, but the energy drops to 68. Then the wind turns onshore and the chop returns. The rest of the week into the end of the month is a mix of onshore winds, rain, and building swell that’s totally blown out. Watch out for the 23rd and 24th of August – the swell jumps up to 8ft and 13ft from the WSW, with strong energy readings of 858 and 2623, but those near-gale and strong cross-onshore winds will make it a mess. That’s strictly for the kite surfers, not the paddle crew.

So, the standout is a slim one. Monday the 17th of August at Freshwater West is your only real window. The water temperature is sitting at 64°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The morning offshore wind will give you clean lines on that 3ft W swell, even if it’s a bit weak and short-period. It’s a consistent spot, so there’ll be waves, and the crowds are just sometimes, so you might have it to yourself. If you can wait, that’s your shot.

Rusty.

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