Kimmeridge Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Kimmeridge Bay.

First off, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch ahead. The water is sitting at a very unusual 69°, which is a whopping 7° warmer than normal for this time of year. Feels more like the Med, but the surf? It’s just not happening for a long time. The whole first week and a half is a write-off. From Tuesday the 18th of August all the way through to the end of the month, the forecast is a flat, messy, or just plain ugly story. The wind is mostly cross or onshore, and the swell is tiny. We’re talking knee-high dribble with periods of 4 to 6 seconds – that’s just wind slop. The combined energy is mostly well under 100 (weak), with only a few brief spikes of moderate energy (106, 133) on the 18th and 20th, but those are ruined by fresh to strong cross-shore winds and lumpy chop. Kite surfers might get a kick out of that onshore breeze, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a no-go. There’s a clean moment on the 21st and 22nd but with swell heights of just 1ft to 2ft (SW), there’s nothing to ride. This blank run of no recommendations lasts for a solid 12 days.

Now, just when you’re about to give up hope, the calendar flips to September. The first of September is the only real standout in this whole outlook. It’s a long way off, so treat it as promising but not locked in. Tuesday morning the 1st of September, we finally see a solid pulse of south-west groundswell hitting 7ft, pushing up to 8ft in the afternoon. The period is 7 to 8 seconds, which is okay, but the real kicker is the wind. It’s a fresh north-west breeze, holding clean and cross-offshore. That’s clean conditions for a reef break like this. The combined energy jumps to 449 in the morning and 582 in the afternoon – that’s strong wave energy. Now, this is a reef, so it’ll handle the size. But heads up: at over 7ft, this is expert territory. Not one for the beginners. The swell is straight out of the optimum SW direction for this spot, so it should be lining up well. The 2nd of September still has some 5ft leftovers, but the wind swings westerly cross-shore, and the energy drops back to 114 (moderate), so it’s not the same quality.

That’s the story. A long, flat, messy wait, then a single, solid window on the 1st of September for the experienced crew. Keep your eyes on the charts for that one.

Rusty.

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