Harlyn Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at the Harlyn stretch over the next couple of weeks. Straight up, this is a tough outlook. Harlyn is a sheltered, beginner-friendly spot that’s inconsistent by nature, and it really shows in this forecast. The water’s sitting at 66°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – a solid 4°F anomaly, so you’ll be comfortable in a spring suit or maybe even boardshorts if you’re tough enough.

The first real chance to even think about paddling out doesn’t come until the tail end of the period. There’s a long, quiet gap right through the rest of August. From the 19th right through to the 27th, it’s a real write-off – messy winds, lumpy cross-chop, and one poor surf report after another. The swell is there, but it’s all wind-affected and blown out. On the 20th you’ll see a 7ft WNW swell (moderate combined energy of 767), but it’s paired with a fresh cross-shore that makes it a total mess. The 26th shows a 7ft W swell (moderate energy of 487), but again, cross-shore winds and poor conditions. Nothing worth getting excited about.

The first hint of a window opens on the morning of Friday the 28th of August. We’ve got a 3ft W swell (period 8s, weak energy of 139) with a light offshore wind from the south. The conditions are clean and the waves are surfable, but it’s very ordinary. Crowds are a real possibility here – Harlyn gets packed even on average days. Saturday the 29th morning is similar: 4ft W swell (period 7s, weak energy of 173) with a southerly offshore. Clean, but small and weak. For a beginner, this is about as good as it gets in this run.

The standout for the whole outlook, and I mean the only one that really shines, is the morning of Wednesday the 2nd of September. We’ve got a 7ft WNW swell (period 8s, moderate energy of 588) with a light offshore from the SSW. Critically, this is a moderately strong offshore wind, which means clean, peeling waves. This is the best swell and the best wind combo of the entire 16 days. The swell direction lines up perfectly with Harlyn’s optimum from the WNW. That said, at 7ft, it’s at the upper limit for beginners – this is more for the experienced crew. Keep in mind the period is short (8s), so it’s not a groundswell; it’s a windswell, but it’ll still give you some fun peaks. The water temp anomaly is still positive, but by then it’s hard to say.

Thursday the 3rd of September drops right back off – small, weak, and forgettable.

So, the long and short of it: don’t expect much for the rest of August. The first week of September has a couple of clean, offshore mornings, but the only real standout is Wednesday the 2nd. If you can get out that morning, you’ll find the best of what Harlyn has to offer in this run. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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