Margate Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for Margate over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a lean period, and we’ve got a big gap to get through before anything even thinks about turning on.

First up, there’s nothing worth paddling out for until we hit Wednesday afternoon, July 22nd. Even then, it’s a bit of a stretch. The wind will be howling out of the SW at 12 mph, giving us a messy cross-shore chop. The swell is pushing 8ft from the S with a period of 8 seconds, and the combined energy is a meaty 1075 – that’s a lot of juice, but it’s not clean. The water temp is sitting at 77°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Honestly, with that much onshore wind and size, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s a expert-only zone if you’re determined, but it’s not a standout.

The next real chance for a paddle comes on Thursday afternoon, July 23rd. The wind drops to a glassy 3 mph from the NNE. That’s a major positive – clean conditions. The swell drops to 3ft from the SSE with an 8 second period, combined energy at 86. It’s small, weak, and ordinary, but it’s surfable. You’ll be on a longboard looking for the little peaks. Not a standout, but it’s a window.

After that, we hit another dry spell. From Friday, July 24th all the way through to Sunday, August 2nd, the forecast is a washout. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is tiny – under 2ft. The energy readings are all in the double digits, meaning the ocean is flat and tired. That’s a solid 10-day gap of nothing worth chasing.

The only glimmer in the long-range is on Monday morning, August 3rd. We get a clean, cross-offshore wind from the SW at 6 mph. The swell is 3ft from the SSE with a 7 second period, and combined energy is 84. It’s small and weak, but clean. It’s a long way out, so treat this as a promising but less certain call. The best-looking session of the whole run might be Tuesday afternoon, August 4th, with a moderate offshore wind from the WNW at 16 mph. The swell is 3ft from the SSE, 7 seconds, energy at 69. The wind is clean, but the waves are barely there. Still, for Margate in this stretch, that’s as good as it gets.

So, to sum it up: there’s no standout swell in this 16-day window. The only real highlight is the glassy, clean conditions on the afternoon of July 23rd, but the waves are tiny. If you’re desperate for a paddle, that’s your best bet. Otherwise, the forecast is a bust. The water is a touch warmer than average, but that won’t help the surf. Don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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