Guillotines Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s talk about the next two weeks.

The 16-Day Scoop

Right off the bat, we’ve got a pretty dead stretch. To be honest, the start of this run looks bleak. We're looking at a solid run of poor surf for the first week and a half, with only tiny, weak, and messy waves on offer. The energy is just not there, and the winds aren't cooperating for anything of quality. You're looking at a whole lot of close-outs and ankle-biters from around the 17th through the 27th. It's a real test of patience.

But, hold on. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Towards the back half of the window, things start to wake up in a big way. That’s where we find our standouts.

The Main Event: Guillotines

Our only real spot on the map is Guillotines (Sierra Leone), and man, does it come alive at the end. This is an advanced, inconsistent point break, so it’s not for the faint of heart, and it doesn't fire often. When it does, though, look out. It's fairly exposed to the swell, and its optimum direction is from the SE.

The water is sitting at 62° right now, which is about average for the time of year. Nothing crazy there.

The Grind (Aug 17 - Aug 28)

We start with almost nothing. The 17th has a tiny 2ft S swell with a weak 82 energy and cross-offshore winds, but it’s just not happening. The 18th brings a glassy morning with a 3ft ESE swell, but it's short-period and weak. It’s still surfable but very ordinary. Then, the winds turn cross-onshore and chop it all up. From there, it's a whole lot of nothing.

We'll see a few glassy mornings here and there, like the 21st and 23rd, with some small S swell energy, but the size is just too small. The whole period from the 17th up through the 27th is basically a write-off. A long flat spell like this is a real possibility for the area, so don't be surprised.

The Turnaround (Aug 29 - Sep 1)

Finally, on the 29th of August, things change. The wind goes fresh and offshore from the SSW. The swell picks up to a solid 6ft from the SSE, and the energy jumps to a moderate 477. This is looking much more interesting. The 30th of August is the standout. We’ve got a clear morning, a gentle offshore breeze, and a 6ft SSE swell with strong energy at 653. This is the one. It’s an expert-only wave, and with that size, that’s a fair call. Expecting a clean, powerful, grinding point break. This is our best bet on offer. The surf quality is going to be good.

The morning of the 31st is still looking fun with a 6ft SSE swell and offshore winds, holding that quality. Then we roll into the 1st of September with a glassy morning, a 4ft S swell with a long 12-second period, and strong energy at 490. That’s a classic setup for this point break. A promising end to the window.

So keep your eyes on the end of the month and into September. The start is a bummer, but that finish line looks like it will be worth the wait.

Rusty, out.

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