Ogmore-by-Sea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a proper look at what's on offer for Ogmore-by-Sea.

Well, I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s a tough one. For the entire 16-day window, there isn't a single recommendation for a decent surf. Every single session is flagged as poor surf conditions. That’s a long dry spell, almost two weeks of nothing worth getting excited about. The river mouth setup here is naturally inconsistent, and this run of weather and swell just isn't cooperating.

The first week is a write-off. We start on Tuesday, 25th August with a tiny 0.3 ft swell from the west. The wind is howling out of the east at 22 mph, which is offshore, but the swell has zero energy at just 4 units. The combined energy is a measly 4, so there’s nothing to ride. Water temp is a balmy 68°, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s the only good news. The pattern continues through Wednesday and Thursday with the same story: small, weak swells, and cross-offshore winds that just can't get any power into the waves. The energy stays in the single digits.

Friday the 28th finally sees a little pulse, with a 2 ft swell from the southwest and a combined energy of 47. Still weak, but it's something. The light southeast cross-shore wind on the Friday morning might keep the surface reasonably clean, but it's really not enough to call it a surf. The weekend brings a sudden spike in size, but it comes with a nasty side. Saturday the 29th sees a 7 ft swell from the west-southwest, with a strong combined energy of 508. That’s got some push, but it’s also onshore, blowing in from the west-southwest at 25 mph. That’s going to be a messy, blown-out mess. Sunday the 30th isn't much better, with a 4 ft cross-shore swell and a moderate breeze adding chop. For a beach-and-reef setup like Ogmore, that kind of wind and swell is more interesting for kite surfing than a paddle.

The second week doesn't offer any respite. Monday the 31st through to Tuesday the 8th of September is a repeating pattern of cross-onshore winds and onshore winds, with swell sizes bouncing between 4 ft and 7 ft. The wind is consistently fresh to strong, making it lumpy, choppy, and blown out. The combined energy is often in the hundreds (200-700), but with the wind direction being wrong, the quality is just not there. The only slight change comes on the 4th and 5th of September, with a 7 ft swell from the west-southwest showing up on Saturday morning, but with 12 mph cross-onshore winds, it’s still going to be choppy. The final days of the outlook, 7th to 9th September, show a drop in size but the wind remains onshore or cross-onshore, with periods of very long period groundswell (11-12 seconds). That long period energy is great for a point break, but at a river mouth like this, it can make the waves break too straight and fast.

So, to sum it up: there are no standout days, no hidden gems. The whole period is a blank run. It’s a tough one for the area, but the forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it. For now, I'd say leave the boards in the van.

Rusty.

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