Ogmore-by-Sea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let's have a look at what's on offer here at Ogmore-by-Sea. Straight up, it's a tough one. We've got a river break that's pretty inconsistent at the best of times, and this 16-day stretch is looking like a real quiet period, no two ways about it.

For the first part of the run, from Friday the 24th of July right through until the end of the month, we're looking at tiny, wind-affected slop. The swell is barely there, mostly under 2ft, and coming in from the west. With the wind howling from the west too, it's going to be a messy, onshore affair. The water temperature is a solid 69°F, which is *much warmer than normal* for this time of year – a solid 9°F above the average, so the water itself will feel lovely, but you won't need a wetsuit to get in for a paddle. There's a brief moment on the morning of Tuesday the 28th of July where it turns glassy, but with a wave height of just 1ft and combined energy down at (11), there's nothing to actually ride.

August rolls in and it's more of the same. The first week is a write-off. The morning of Sunday the 2nd of August sees a proper 25 mph offshore from the ENE, but with the swell still under 2ft, it's all wind and no wave. Strong offshore and clean, but hard to paddle into is bang on.

Then, on Tuesday the 4th of August, things finally look like they might wake up. The morning shows a pulse of 4ft swell from the WSW building, and by the afternoon it's up to 5ft from the same direction, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy hits a moderate (178) for the afternoon, and the wind drops to glassy. It's only scored as "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions", but in this whole window, that afternoon is the only time the waves are over 3ft and the wind is calm. It's not a classic, but it's the best we've got. The break itself is shielded from the swell, so don't expect much power, but if you're desperate for a few small, crumbly waves in clean conditions, that's your shot.

After that, it's back to small, choppy slop for the remaining days. We're talking a long, dry stretch from the 25th of July right up until the 4th of August with nothing worthwhile. It's a proper blank run, and for an inconsistent river break like this, that's not unusual. The longer period swells that pop up near the end, like the 10-second stuff on the 8th of August, are coming in with cross-onshore winds and low energy, so they won't deliver.

So, if you're a beginner, the waves never even reach 5ft, so you're safe but you won't get a ride. For the rest of us, the standout is that one glassy afternoon on Tuesday the 4th of August. Even then, it's a gamble. Don't hold your breath for the rest of it.

Rusty.

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