Nordseeklinik Westerland (Sylt) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks in the North Sea.

First off, the water is currently sittin’ around 64°—that’s pretty much normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

To be brutally honest, the next week or so is a bit of a struggle. The only real recommendation on the table is Nordseeklinik Westerland (Sylt) , and even then, it’s a tough sell. The surf we’ve got is small and pretty ordinary. The best bet looks like Sunday morning, the 26th of July. We’ve got a bit of a pulse with a 3ft swell from the WNW, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s not gonna have much punch. The wave energy is weak (149). The highlight is a light SSE breeze blowin’ offshore, which should keep the surface clean. It’s a beginner wave, so it’s fine for a longboard or a foamie, but don’t expect any barrels.

Sunday afternoon and all of Monday, the 27th, are a write-off. The wind swings onshore and gets up to 25 mph, absolutely chopping it up. The swell gets a bit bigger on Monday morning—6ft from the WNW—but with that strong onshore wind, it’s just a messy, lumpy mess. Not worth paddling out for.

The rest of the week through to the end of July is tiny and weak. We’re talking ankle-to-knee high stuff, with wave energy dropping to single digits (3 to 23). The wind is all over the shop, but most of the time it’s cross or onshore, so it’s not clean. Friday morning, the 31st of July, might be the most pleasant moment to sit on the beach—glassy conditions with a whisper of a WSW breeze, but the swell is a pathetic 2ft with a 5-second period. It’s barely surfable.

Then there’s a massive gap. From the 1st of August right through to the morning of the 7th of August, the guidance is clear: poor surf conditions every single day. The swell is either flat or non-existent, with wave energy at zero for a couple of days. It’s a proper dead spell.

Now, here’s the interesting bit. On the 7th of August, the forecast throws a bit of a curveball. Friday morning, the 7th, shows a solid 7ft swell from the WNW with a period of 8 seconds. The wave energy jumps up to 581 (moderate to strong). The problem? The wind is blowin’ onshore at 15 mph. That’s a big, messy, onshore wall of water. It’s gonna be heavy and choppy—definitely not for beginners. Experts only, and even then, it’s gonna be a battle against the wind. The afternoon drops a bit to 5ft with the same 8-second period and onshore wind, still messy.

After that, the swell fades back down through the 8th, 9th, and 10th of August, with onshore winds and small, weak surf. The 8th of August (Saturday) has 4ft in the morning, but it’s still onshore at 22 mph, so it’s just a blown-out mess.

The Standout: If you’re desperate, Sunday morning, the 26th of July, is the cleanest surf of the whole run. It’s small, but it’s clean. For the brave, Friday morning, the 7th of August, has the most size, but you’ll be fighting the wind.

The Honest Truth: With the swell being small and the wind often in the wrong direction, coupled with the fact that it’s a beach break, this setup actually looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on a few of those windier days. But for a surfer? It’s a tough two weeks. The good news is that the area is fairly consistent, so it tends not to stay this poor for long. Forecasts can change.

Rusty out.

Read more