Freshwater West Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle at Freshwater West. We’ve got a lot of wind and messy, junky surf on the cards. The first real window of hope doesn’t even show up until Saturday the 22nd, and even then it’s tiny. We’re looking at a long gap of poor, unrideable conditions from now until then, so don’t get your hopes up for the early part of the week.

Starting off Tuesday the 18th and right through Thursday the 20th, it’s just a write-off. We’ve got moderate to fresh cross-shore winds, and the swell is weak and short-period. The energy is low, too—only around 100 to 300 for the combined swell. It’s all chop and no shape. Not worth the drive.

Friday the 21st is a little cleaner with a light cross-offshore breeze in the morning, but the swell has dropped to almost nothing, just 2ft. You’d be fighting for dribbles.

Now, Saturday morning the 22nd is the only thing that even comes close to being interesting, and that’s not saying much. We’ve got a gentle offshore breeze and the water is clean, but the swell is only 1ft. There’s a super long-period groundswell at 15 seconds, but it’s just not enough size. The combined energy is weak, at only 52. It’s a knee-high day for the longboard and the patient. After that, it’s right back to nothing for the next several days. Sunday and Monday the 24th are flat and clean-ish, but there’s zero push.

Then things get interesting, but not in a good way. Around Tuesday the 25th of August, the wind kicks up again and the swell starts to build, but it’s all wind-chop and poor quality. By Saturday the 29th, we’re looking at over 7ft of cross-shore mess with strong winds. It’s more of a kite-surfing show than a surfing one.

The one standout in the whole period is the afternoon of Monday the 31st of August. That’s when a big, powerful swell rolls in. We’re talking 11ft from the SW, with a massive 1718 combined energy. It’s a serious amount of water, but it’s simply too big for this break. The wind is light and the tide is favorable, but it’s going to be a washing machine. This is only for experts, and even then, it might be pushing it. It’s a raw, heavy, and dangerous day. Not for the faint of heart.

After that, it backs off a bit into Tuesday the 1st of September, with 8ft of WSW swell, but the wind is onshore and it’s still pretty rough. The water’s about average for the time of year, nothing crazy there.

So, bottom line: if you see a small window Saturday morning the 22nd, go get some knee-high sliders. Otherwise, keep your board in the car and wait for that big day on the 31st if you’re a proper charger. It’s gonna be wild, but it’s the only real surf on offer. I’m Rusty, signing off.

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