Glencairn Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's have a look at the charts for Glencairn.

Right off the bat, this isn't a classic run. The first few days are a write-off. Strong cross-onshore winds and messy conditions mean you’d be mad to paddle out on Sunday the 9th or Monday the 10th. We're talking 25 mph winds just tearing it up. Just forget about it.

Things start to look a bit more interesting from Wednesday the 12th. We've got a solid pulse of long-period groundswell from the SW, pushing in at 4ft with a period of 18 seconds. That's proper energy and the sets will have some serious push. But the real gem is Wednesday afternoon when the wind drops to glass. Absolutely perfect conditions for experienced surfers. That long period will make for some lined-up waves, but at a beach and reef setup like Glencairn, those long-period SW swells can sometimes close out, so you need to know where to sit. The crowd situation could be an issue here as it's often busy, so get out there early.

Thursday the 13th is a step down. The swell is still around 5ft to 6ft with that long period, but the cross-shore wind kicks in and brings a chop, making it a bit of a mess. Not the best.

The weekend of the 16th and 17th is where the real standout is. Saturday the 16th afternoon looks tidy with 4ft of WSW swell and a light cross-offshore wind, giving clean conditions. But hold on – Monday the 17th morning is the one to circle on your calendar. It’s a solid 7ft of WSW groundswell with a 16-second period, that’s huge energy, and the wind is forecast to be glassy. That is a recipe for some epic, powerful waves at Glencairn. This is for experts only though – 7ft with that kind of period is serious, not for the faint-hearted. The water temp is about average for the time of year.

We get another window mid-week on Wednesday the 19th. Both morning and afternoon look clean with a gentle offshore wind and a fun 6ft SW swell. The period drops to 10 seconds, so it won't have the same punch as the long-period stuff, but it'll be super fun and user-friendly.

The final week gets a bit dicey again with strong onshores on the 20th and 23rd, but the forecast for Friday the 21st afternoon and Saturday the 22nd shows some hope. The 22nd has a nice 6ft SW groundswell with a 16-second period, but the wind is a moderate cross-offshore. Clean, but a bit of a gamble with the crowd factor.

So to wrap it up: the absolute best on offer is that Monday the 17th morning session for the big-wave crew. If you want something a bit more manageable, Wednesday the 19th is a solid call. The rest is a waiting game or a gamble on the wind.

Rusty.

Read more