Llantwit Major Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming down the line for us. To be honest, this stretch of the forecast is a tough one. We’re looking at a 16-day window, and right from the get-go, it’s a bit of a waiting game for anything worth paddling out for.

The main issue is the wind. It’s stuck in a cross, cross-on, or onshore regime for almost every session, with moderate to fresh breezes tearing up any potential for clean waves. The swell is hanging around in the small-to-OK range, but the wind is just ruining it. Combined swell energy mostly sits below 100 (weak), though we do get some moderate pulses showing up mostly mid-week. For a point break like this, you need the wind to play ball, and it rarely does in this forecast.

Llantwit Major is the only spot in the mix, and it’s a point break that’s fairly consistent, with an optimum swell direction from the SW. The trouble is the swell is mostly coming from the W or WSW, which is close but not perfect.

Let’s start with the weekend. Saturday 29 August and Sunday 30 August – forget it. Tiny waves (1 ft to 3 ft) with onshore and cross-on winds. On Sunday afternoon we even get a risk of thunderstorms. Just not worth the drive.

Monday 31 August sees a bit of a jump. We get a 5 ft swell from the W with a 9-second period arriving Monday morning, and the combined energy is moderate at 392. The problem? It’s cross-on at 16 mph from the WNW, making it choppy. This is a classic case where the setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than us paddle surfers.

Tuesday 1 September drops off again, and the rest of the first week is a struggle. Wednesday 2 September is tiny and lumpy, Thursday 3 September has 5 ft swell from the W (8-second period) but with a fresh cross-on breeze at 22 mph. It’s lumpy and messy.

Friday 4 September is no better – small, onshore, and fresh cross-onshore. A tough stretch.

Now, a brief glimmer. Monday 7 September is the standout of the whole period. It’s the first time we see a cross-offshore wind, from NNW at 12 mph. The swell is 4 ft from the W, a 7-second period, with a combined energy of 188. The file describes it as “clean.” That’s the word we’ve been waiting for. Moderate breeze, but offshore. This is your best shot. The water temperature is about average for this time of year.

Tuesday 8 September stays clean with a cross-offshore breeze in the afternoon, but the swell drops to 3 ft. Wednesday 9 September morning goes glassy with a 2 ft swell, but that’s tiny.

After that, it’s back into the wind and small, weak drivel until Saturday 12 September afternoon, where we get clean conditions again with a 2 ft, 10-second period groundswell from the W. A bit of period there, but tiny.

So, the honest truth? The Monday 7 September morning session is the only proper standout. Clean lines, offshore wind, and 4 ft of swell. It’s a brief window in a largely poor run of surf. Get on it if you can, because the rest of the fortnight is a battle with the wind.

Rusty.

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