Lowestoft Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this is a grim outlook for Lowestoft. We’ve got a 16-day window, but the first week and a half is a write-off if you’re looking for a proper surf. There’s a long gap here with nothing worth paddling out for until the 21st of July.

The water’s running about 66°F at the start, which is a wild anomaly – 6°F warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s very unusual, but it won’t help the waves.

From Saturday the 11th right through to the 20th of July, it’s a frustrating mix of tiny, weak swell with combined energy barely cracking 100 (9 to 93) and a persistent cross-onshore wind from the NE that’s just trashing the surface. The wave heights hang around 1ft to 4ft, period is a short, gutless 4 to 6 seconds. It’s all choppy, lumpy, and just poor surf conditions. Not a single session worth pulling on a wetsuit for.

Now, things do finally show a pulse on the 21st of July. Tuesday morning sees the swell bump up to 5ft from the NNE, period lifts to 6 seconds, and the combined energy hits 126 – moderate energy. It’s still cross-onshore though, so it’ll be a bit messy. Tuesday afternoon gets a bit more grunt, with 6ft from the NNE, period at 7 seconds, and energy jumping to 302. That’s the first real sign of life, but the wind is still cross-on from the NE, so expect it to be lumpy and hard to read.

The 22nd of July (Wednesday) is where it gets interesting, but only for the experts. The swell pushes 6ft overnight into the morning, period stretches to 8 seconds, and energy is strong at 355. The wind goes light easterly, which is onshore, but the size is there. This is solid, punchy power. If you’re a competent surfer, this is your window. The afternoon sits at 5ft, period 8 seconds, energy 324, with light easterly onshore. It’s going to be a bit walled-up and fast, but for a beach break, that’s a lot of water moving. Beginners, stay out of the water – this is too big.

The 23rd of July sees it drop back. Thursday morning has 4ft from the NNE, period 8 seconds, energy 163, and the wind swings northerly – finally a cross-shore breeze. It’ll be a bit cleaner, but the power is dropping. The 24th of July (Friday) morning offers the cleanest conditions of the whole run: 2ft from the NNE, period 8 seconds, energy 60, but with a moderate offshore wind from the west. That’s glassy, clean lines, but it’s tiny. After that, the last few days of the 16-day window dribble away to nothing – 1ft to 2ft, no energy, and nothing to get excited about.

So, the standout is the 22nd of July. That’s the biggest, most powerful swell of the period, with moderate wave energy (355). It’s a Wednesday, so crowds might be a bit less, but it’s a beach break, so it’s going to be a bit of a handful with that period. That’s an expert-only day. The next best is the 21st of July afternoon for the stronger energy, but the wind is still a factor.

There’s no real hidden gem here. Lowestoft is pretty exposed to the NE, and that’s the direction that gives us the most size, but the wind is almost always a problem. The finder is clear: this is a blank run for a solid week, then a short blast of proper swell before it fades. For the first week, honestly, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those windy days.

Rusty.

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