Gorleston on Sea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s be honest, this is a grim outlook for the next couple of weeks. The swell window is just not working for us, and the wind is almost always in the wrong place. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing to get excited about, so patience is the name of the game.

We start off with flat, weak dribble. Friday the 10th is basically a write-off with tiny 1ft swell from the ESE and a period of 3 seconds, blown out by onshore winds. That’s a combined energy of just 10 (weak), and it’s called “poor surf conditions” for a reason. Saturday and Sunday the 11th and 12th bring a little more size, up to 4ft, but it’s all cross-onshore, choppy, and short-period junk. The energy creeps up to 97 (weak) on Sunday, but the quality is still garbage.

The whole first week is a washout. Monday through Thursday the 13th to 16th stays in that 3ft to 4ft range, with cross-onshore winds and lumpy, messy conditions. The energy levels are all weak – under 100 – and the wave comment is consistently “poor surf conditions.” There’s just no clean face to be had.

We finally see a slight uptick on Friday the 17th of July. Swell hits 5ft to 5ft from the ENE, with a period of 6 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 161 (moderate), which is a step up, but the wind is cross-shore, creating a cross-chop. It’s still rated “poor surf conditions.” Saturday the 18th is similar – 4ft, cross-shore wind, and a lumpy cross-chop.

The one standout, if you can call it that, is the morning of Sunday the 19th of July. We get a 5ft swell from the NNE with a 7-second period, and for the first time in the whole forecast, the wind goes cross-offshore from the NNW. The description says “clean.” The energy is a healthy 210 (moderate). Is it perfect? No. It’s still a beach break, and the period is short, so it’ll be a bit fat and dumpy, but it’s the only clean window we get. The wind will be a moderate breeze, so it won’t be glassy, but it’s the best of a bad lot.

Monday morning the 20th of July is the only other event that pokes its head up. The swell is 6ft from the NNE with an 8-second period, the wind is cross-offshore from the N again, and the conditions are “clean.” The combined energy is a solid 422 (moderate). The wave comment is “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” which is a big caveat. It’s the biggest swell of the entire run, but the tide will be a factor, and the period is still on the short side. This one is for the experienced locals who know the sandbanks.

After that, it drops off quickly. Tuesday the 21st is still around 5ft but with cross-shore winds. By the 22nd of July, we’re back to under 2ft, and from the 23rd onwards, it’s tiny again. The run of poor conditions basically stretches from today until the 19th, a solid nine days of nothing worthwhile.

Gorleston on Sea is the only break in the game, and it’s an inconsistent, beginner-friendly beach break. Keep your expectations low. Honestly, with that much cross-shore wind and lumpy conditions, it looks more like a kite-surfing setup than a paddling one for most of the period.

Rusty.

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