Penhale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s chew the fat on Penhale for the next couple weeks. Honestly, it’s a grim outlook. We’ve got the full 16 days ahead, but there’s a big, empty gap of no-good surf at the start. The first time you could even think about a paddle is Friday the 21st, and even then it’s barely worth it.

Right now, Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th are a write-off. Onshore wind from the WNW at 15-19 mph, and the swell is a weak 4ft from the West with a short 6-9 second period. The combined energy is moderate (154-297), but the wind just wrecks everything. Water’s at 66°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s about the only bright spot.

Thursday the 20th gets even uglier for surfing. Swell pushes up to 8ft – that’s getting into expert territory and too much for beginners – but it’s all cross-onshore and lumpy. At a beach setup like Penhale, that’s better for the kite crew, not for paddle surfing. Energy hits 799 early on, but quality is poor.

Then we hit a real flat spell. On Friday the 21st morning, we finally get a brief moment that’s “surfable.” That morning, a light offshore breeze from the ENE at 6 mph, a small 3ft West swell with an 8-second period, and clean conditions. Combined energy is 195 – weak, but the wind is finally right. It’s the only moment in the whole forecast with a score worth mentioning. But it doesn’t last. By the afternoon, the wind goes north and cross-shore, the swell drops, and it’s back to poor.

From the 22nd through the 25th, it’s tiny, weak slop or nearly flat. Swell heights drop below 1ft, periods crash to 5 seconds, and the energy is in the double-digits (22 to 144). The wind shifts around, north and cross-off, but there’s no swell to work with.

Mid-week, around Tuesday the 25th afternoon, a small pulse shows up – a 4ft West swell at 10 seconds (233 energy) – but the wind is cross-shore from the south and it’s messy. That pattern sticks through the 26th and 27th, with onshore winds returning and the swell staying short and weak.

Saturday the 29th of August brings some size back – 6ft from the West (453-550 energy) – but it’s accompanied by a fresh cross-onshore breeze. It’s lumpy and choppy. Good for kites, not for clean surf.

That continues into September 1st and 2nd. Swell hangs around 5ft to 6ft, but it’s almost always cross-onshore or cross-shore with chop. Period stays short, 7-9 seconds, so no real power or shape. The combined energy gets back to moderate (261-565), but without decent wind it’s just a messy, choppy wall.

So, the best on offer? It’s that tiny window on the morning of Friday the 21st of August – a clean 3ft West swell with a light offshore. That’s it. Everything else is flat, blown out, or just poor. If you’ve got other plans, go do those.

Rusty.

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