Long Strand-Castlefreke Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer here at Long Strand-Castlefreke. I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s been a tough run lately. The combined swell energy has been weak, and we’ve had a lot of onshore wind messing things up. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, which is a small comfort, but it doesn’t help the waves.

We’re looking at a pretty grim stretch ahead. From Sunday the 30th of August right through until at least the 10th of September, it’s all poor surf conditions. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is either too small, too short-period, or just plain messy. There’s a brief pulse on the afternoon of the 30th with a 8ft swell from the WSW, but the combined energy is strong (1136) and it’s coming with a cross-onshore wind and a risk of thunderstorms. That’s not paddle surfing; that’s a kite session if anything. The swell is too big for beginners and only for experts, but the wind is just awful.

There’s a bit of a novelty on the morning of Saturday the 5th of September. We get glassy conditions with a light ESE breeze, but the swell is tiny at 1.0ft. It’s clean, but there’s nothing to ride. The same goes for the morning of the 9th of September – glassy, but the swell is a pathetic 0.7ft. The period on the 5th is 14 seconds, which is a long period groundswell, but with that little height, it’s just a flat, clean ocean.

The only real standout, if you can call it that, is the morning of Thursday the 10th of September. The swell picks up to 2ft from the S with a period of 6 seconds, and the wind is glassy from the NNE. The combined energy is still weak (52), but it’s glassy. It’s the best we’ve got in a long, long time. Even then, it’s a small, short-period swell, so the waves will be fat and weak. The wind is clean, so it’s worth a look if you’re desperate, but don’t expect much.

The next morning, Friday the 11th of September, has a similar story with 2ft from the S and a light cross-offshore breeze, keeping it clean. Again, small.

For the rest of the window, it’s a write-off. The wind stays onshore or the swell stays tiny. The setup here is exposed to the SW, and the optimum swell direction is SW, so when the swell does come from that direction, it’s at least angled right. But the wind is never playing ball. The crowds at Long Strand-Castlefreke can be an issue sometimes, but honestly, with this lack of surf, there won’t be a soul out.

This is a proper dry spell. It’s not unusual for this area when the wind locks in from the wrong direction. The forecasts can change, but right now, there’s nothing to get excited about until the 10th of September, and even then, it’s a small, clean paddle. Hang tight.

Rusty.

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