Long Strand-Castlefreke Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gather 'round, me hearties, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for our stretch of coast. Honestly, it's a bit of a bleak picture, this one. Fair warning: if you're looking for a proper surf, you'll be waiting a good while. The whole 16-day window is pretty much a write-off, but let's break it down.

First light on Wednesday the 2nd, and we're straight into a messy one. Long Strand-Castlefreke is facing a fresh onshore SW breeze at 22 mph, pushing a 4ft SSW swell, but a short, weak period of just 7 seconds with only 207 (moderate energy). It's “poor surf conditions” from the get-go, and that wind is just going to chop it all up. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year at 64°, but that's no consolation.

Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th offer no respite. Swell drops away to a tiny 1ft, and although the period stretches out to a very long 15-16 seconds, it's groundswell that just doesn't have the size to do anything with that raw energy. The combined energy readings (148 and 157) are still weak. On top of that, the winds are fresh and cross-onshore, making for a lumpy, unrideable mess. Saturday the 5th is flat with a gentle cross-onshore.

We get a little blip on Sunday the 6th. A 4ft S swell pops up, but with a pathetic 6-second period and only 137 (moderate energy). The wind is a fresh onshore at times, and the report calls it “poor surf conditions.” Monday the 7th sees a 4ft SW swell with a decent 11-second period, generating 345 (moderate energy), but a strong breeze from the WSW just ruins it. It's a messy, cross-onshore situation.

From Tuesday the 8th onward, it's a slow, painful decline. Swell heights drop to 3ft and below, with energy readings plummeting to double digits (weak energy). The wind stays onshore or cross-onshore for nearly every session. A few glimpses of clean conditions pop up way out in the second week—Monday the 14th afternoon has a cross-offshore wind, and Wednesday the 16th morning has a strong cross-offshore—but the swell is practically non-existent at 0.3ft to 0.7ft. The combined energy is single-digit or barely into double digits (weak energy). It's clean, sure, but there's nothing to ride.

For a break that's fairly consistent, this is a grim run. The direction is mainly from the SSW-SW, which is what you'd want for this exposed SW-facing spot, but the wind is our enemy. There's simply nothing to recommend. The whole setup is more suited to a kite than a surfboard for most of this period.

Signing off,
Rusty

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