Margate Pier Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's cookin' for Margate Pier over this 16-day stretch.

To be straight with you, the first week or so is a bit of a write-off. We're looking at a whole lot of nothing for days. From the 24th of August right through to the 2nd of September, it's a real struggle. The swell is tiny, mostly around 1ft to 2ft, and even when a bit of energy shows up, the conditions are just poor. There's a lot of cross and onshore wind messing things up, making for choppy, bumpy waves. There's a glimmer on the 26th morning with glassy conditions, but with only 1ft of swell, there's nothing to ride. It's a barren run for paddle surfing. Honestly, with that wind and swell setup, a few of those days look more interesting for kite surfing than a traditional surf. The water temp is a balmy 77°F with a 2° anomaly on the 24th, so it's much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that doesn't help when there are no waves.

Now, hold on to your board, because things change dramatically. The standout window arrives on Thursday morning, the 3rd of September. We finally get a pulse of energy. The swell jumps to a solid 7ft from the East, with a period of 7 seconds and a combined energy of 708 (moderate wave energy). The wind is a light 6 mi/h from the NNE, blowing cross-off shore, making for clean conditions. This will be for the confident intermediate crew and above, as 7ft is getting towards the top end for beginners. It's not the longest period, but the size and clean wind make it a proper session.

The good news keeps rolling. The following days, the 4th and 5th of September, keep that energy going with 6ft to 6ft swell from the East. The wind stays cross-off from the North, keeping it clean, but it does pick up to a fresh 19 mi/h on the 4th, which will add some chop to the surface. The energy stays strong, with values peaking at 761 on the 4th morning. It's still good, but the wind is a factor.

Then, Sunday morning the 6th of September is another beauty. The swell drops a touch to 5ft from the East, with an 8-second period, and a combined energy of 535 (moderate wave energy). The wind goes light from the NNW at 9 mi/h, cross-off again. This is clean, manageable, and a fantastic end to the run. After that, it fades back to small, weak surf for the 7th and beyond.

So, to boil it down: avoid the first week. The absolute best on offer is the Thursday morning (3rd Sep) with that 7ft East swell and clean cross-off wind, followed closely by the Sunday morning (6th Sep) for a slightly smaller, but still very clean session. The 4th and 5th have the size but come with stronger wind. The long-range stuff, like the 6th, looks promising but remember the forecast is less certain the further out you go.

Keep your stick handy, it finally gets good.

Rusty.

Read more