Happisburgh Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's be honest about the next couple of weeks at Happisburgh. It's a tough stretch.

The whole 16-day window is a write-off for any proper surf. We’re looking at a solid gap of nothing good from now until the end of the period. The forecast is a long, dry spell of poor surf, and honestly, that’s pretty normal for this area when the conditions just don’t line up. There isn’t a single recommendation in the whole run, so we’re going to have to wait for the next weather system to change things up.

Looking at the details, it’s a grim picture. We start with tiny, weak waves on Thursday the 9th, with a cross-onshore wind creating choppy, ugly conditions. The combined energy is a pathetic 24 (weak energy), and the water is 63°, which is a staggering 4° warmer than usual for this time of year – really unusual. That warmth doesn’t help the waves, though.

Friday and Saturday are just as bad – small, short-period, onshore slop. The swell period is only 4 to 7 seconds, which is just wind chop, not groundswell. There’s a bump in energy on Sunday the 12th with a 5ft cross-onshore mess, but it’s so lumpy and messy it’s not worth a paddle. The combined energy hits 122 (moderate energy) but the wind is a fresh 19 mph onshore, making it a complete washout.

The pattern continues into the next week. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are all poor, with cross-onshore winds and weak, disorganised waves. On Wednesday the 15th, we see a 5ft to 5ft swell, but it’s from the ENE with a short 6-second period and onshore wind. The combined energy is 162 (moderate energy), but the quality is just not there. It’s the kind of day that’s more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, to be honest.

Things finally turn clean Friday the 17th through the 19th, but it’s a cruel joke. The wind goes offshore or cross-offshore, cleaning up the surface, but the swell completely disappears. We’re talking 0.3ft to 3ft on the best days, with combined energy dropping to 1 (very weak energy). Clean, but completely flat.

The last few days of the forecast, from the 21st of July to the 24th, see a significant increase in swell, with good size and energy. The combined energy on the 22nd and 23rd is 235 and 270 (strong wave energy), with a 5ft to 5ft swell from the north. The wind is cross-offshore and clean, which is a positive. But the problem is the period is only 8 seconds, which is short, and the swell direction is north. At a fairly exposed spot like Happisburgh, that north swell hits the coast straight on with a short period, making for a steep, close-out shorebreak. It’s still raw, messy, and poor surf conditions. There’s just no quality option here.

So, bottom line: put the board away for the next two weeks. Forecasts can change, but right now, there’s nothing to get excited about.

Rusty.

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