Lowestoft Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch ahead for Lowestoft. We’ve got a solid 16-day window to look at, but the surf gods are being stingy. The whole lot of it is rated poorly, so don’t expect much.

Sunday the 16th kicks things off with a tiny 1-foot wave from the north, period of just 5 seconds. That’s weak, gutless stuff with combined energy at a measly 6. The water is a notable 68°F, which is a massive 5°F warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual. The morning is glassy and calm, but there’s simply no push to it. It’s a beginner-only day, but even then, you’d be fighting for a dribble.

We then hit a long, frustrating gap. Monday and Tuesday have barely a ripple with swell under 2 feet and onshore or cross winds chopping up the wash. Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th bring some clean offshore winds from the west, but the swell stays tiny at 2 feet. It’s clean, but you’re just bobbing around. The energy levels are in the weak zone (12 and 4).

Friday the 21st morning is a write-off, but by the afternoon we see a pulse – wind swell: 4 feet from the north at a short 6-second period, pushing the combined energy up to 119 (moderate). It’s crossed up with a moderate cross-shore breeze though, and the wave comment is still “poor surf conditions.” It’s a messy, short-period wind swell, not the kind you point the car for.

The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd sees a bit of energy again, with waves around 3 feet to 4 feet and combined energy in the 118-175 range. But it’s onshore wind from the east and northeast, so you’ve got chop and crumble. Not good.

After that, we drift into another long lull. From the 24th right through the end of the month, it’s a mix of tiny swell (2 feet to 4 feet), cross-on winds, and consistently poor surf quality. The last few days of August and into the 31st finally show some strong offshore winds from the west-southwest (22 mph), but the swell is only 1 foot. The clean conditions don’t matter when there’s nothing to ride. Combined energy is in the single digits.

Bottom line: there are no standouts in this 16-day forecast. Not a single day worth highlighting as good surf. It’s a blank run that’s normal for this area when the swell windows don't align. A couple of days have moderate energy but are wrecked by wind and short periods. The only positive is that the water is very warm for a paddle, but that’s about it.

Stay patient. Forecasts can change.

Rusty.

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