Gwithian Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down what the next couple of weeks are looking like at Gwithian. I gotta level with you: it’s a grim stretch. We’ve got a long, frustrating wait before anything really worth paddling out for shows up.

The first good news in terms of waves doesn't roll in until Friday the 28th of August. Before that, from the 16th right through to the morning of the 28th, it’s a write-off. That’s nearly 12 days of small, weak, onshore, or choppy junk. You’d be wasting your time. The energy in the water is low, with combined swell energy struggling to get out of double digits most days, and when it does hit numbers like 135 (moderate) on Tuesday the 18th, the wind has it all chopped up. On Thursday the 20th, the swell pumps up with energy readings in the 765 to 777 range (strong), but that comes with a 8ft lumpy cross-onshore mess that’s more suited to kite surfing than a paddle session. Avoid.

The first real glimmer comes Friday morning, 28th of August. The wait is nearly over. We’ll see a clean 6ft swell rolling in from the WSW, period a short 7 seconds. The water temp is running about 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won't need the thickest wetsuit. The wind goes light from the ENE, giving us cross-offshore conditions that will keep things clean. This is the standout window of the whole forecast, but even then, the guidance is only giving it a modest thumbs up. It’s a small window of quality in a very long dry spell. That afternoon the wind swings northerly, so the morning is definitely the call.

Saturday the 29th sees a big, powerful WSW groundswell push through, hitting 7ft with a combined energy reading of 1253 (very strong). But the wind goes cross-shore and it turns lumpy. That deepwater power and short period will make it a tough, jumbled beast – one for the experts only, and even then, only if they’re keen on a battle.

Then we slide into a period of lighter winds and smaller surf, with another possible window on Monday the 31st of August. A clean 7ft W swell with a light cross-offshore breeze makes for another morning call. The energy is strong at 545, but the quality is still a bit of a question mark with the short 8-second period.

Honestly, if you’re desperate and can only get in the water, make it Friday the 28th of August morning. It’s the cleanest, most surfable size we’re going to see in this entire long outlook. Everything else is a gamble with the wind or too big and messy.

Stay patient. Rusty.

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