Redcar Scars Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be honest right off the bat: looking at this 16-day window for Redcar Scars, it’s a pretty grim stretch. There’s a long gap of mostly flat, weak, and messy conditions before we see any real size, and even then, the wind is going to be a problem.

The forecast kicks off with a run of nothing special. From Monday the 31st of August through to the 9th of September, the swell is tiny and weak. You’re looking at swell heights of 0.7 ft to 2 ft and combined energies barely registering (24 to 35, mostly weak). The water temp is about 60°F, which is pretty normal for the time of year, nothing weird going on there. Winds are mostly offshore or cross-off, which is a positive, but there’s just no power in the water to work with. The swell periods are short too, mostly 6 to 8 seconds, so it’s just wind swell slop. The 5th of September morning has a slightly bigger 3 ft swell from the NNW, but it’s still short period (7 seconds) and the energy is only 91 – still weak. The afternoon of the 5th gets glassy, which is beautiful, but the swell drops to 2 ft. It’s clean but tiny.

The 10th of September is where things change, but not for the better. On Thursday morning, we get a sudden jump to 6 ft from the NW with a short period of 8 seconds, and the energy jumps to 398 (moderate). That’s the biggest swell of the whole run. But – and it’s a big but – the wind is a strong breeze from the SSW at 28 mph, cross-off, but that’s a hell of a wind. It’s going to be messy and blown out. The 10th afternoon is similar, 5 ft, still 245 energy, but still strong winds out of the WNW. Too big for beginners at 6 ft, and the wind makes it expert only, and even then it’s not going to be fun.

The 11th of September has a 3 ft morning with light NNW wind, which is cross-shore, and the energy is 147 (moderate). The afternoon jumps to 5 ft from the NNE, but the wind turns onshore from the NE – that’s a no-go. The 12th and 13th are similar: 4 ft to 4 ft, but the wind is cross-shore or cross-on, and the periods are short (7-8 seconds). The energy is moderate (149-189), but the quality just isn’t there.

The 14th and 15th of September see a second pulse of swell, 4 ft to 5 ft, with energy hitting 366 on the 15th afternoon, but the wind is consistently cross-shore or cross-on from the SE, ESE, and even SSE. It’s going to be lumpy and choppy. The 5 ft is too big for beginners, and with the chop, it’s only for the hardcore.

If there’s a standout, it’s the 5th of September afternoon. The 2 ft is tiny, but with glassy conditions, it’s going to be clean as a whistle. The 10th of September morning has the most size at 6 ft, but the wind is terrible. So, the best bet is the 5th afternoon for a clean, small wave, or the 10th morning if you’re an expert and don’t mind fighting the wind. Honestly, with the cross-shore and onshore winds on the bigger days, combined with the short period, this setup might actually be more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. It’s a tough run.

Rusty.

Read more