Roads End Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Roads End over the next couple of weeks. The long-range picture is a bit of a mixed bag, but there are a couple of windows that could be worth keeping an eye on.

The early part of the week is not great. From Wednesday morning (5th August) through to the following Monday, the wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore out of the north-west and north-northwest. Swell is small, under 5ft, with short periods around 6 to 8 seconds. The water temperature is 56°, which is 3° colder than average for this time of year – it’s a bit nippier than usual, so you’ll want a thicker suit. Combined wave energy is moderate at best, ranging from 228 to 373 (moderate energy). Honestly, the conditions are pretty ordinary, and I’d say it’s mostly a write-off for a decent paddle.

Now, things start to look a little more interesting around Wednesday the 12th of August. The morning shows a 5ft swell from the NW with a short period of 7 seconds, and combined energy of 356 (moderate). Winds are gentle cross-shore, which is better, but the swell quality is only marginal. The afternoon picks up a bit to 5ft with combined energy hitting 409, but the wind gets stronger and cross-shore. Not a standout, but a slight improvement.

The best bet of the whole outlook looks like Friday the 14th of August and Saturday the 15th of August. On Friday morning, we’ve got a 7ft NW swell with a period of 9 seconds, combined energy of 768 (moderate to strong). That’s a decent size, getting into intermediate territory, and definitely too big for beginners. The wind is a gentle cross-onshore, so there’ll be some chop, but the energy is there. The afternoon stays similar at 7ft and 907 energy. Saturday the 15th holds at 6ft from the NW with 697 energy. The winds are still cross-shore and gentle in the morning, which should keep things rideable. This is the pick of the period – the swell has some weight, and if you can handle the cross-shore wind, there’ll be some fun ones at Roads End.

The second week tails off again. From Sunday the 16th onward, the swell drops back under 5ft with short periods, and the wind stays messy cross-shore. There’s a small pulse around Wednesday the 19th of August, with a 7ft W swell (11-second period) and combined energy of 1318 (strong energy) in the morning. That’s a proper swell, but the period is moderate (11 seconds) and the wind is light cross-shore, so it could be a bit lumpy. The afternoon drops to 6ft at 967 energy. This is promising but far out, so treat it as a hopeful maybe.

All up, the best surf is on Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th of August. It’s not perfect – the wind isn’t glassy and the direction is cross-shore – but there’s enough NW swell to give Roads End some push. For the rest of the time, I’d be looking at other plans.

Rusty.

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