Saint Annes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it. Gotta be straight with you – the outlook for Saint Annes over the next couple of weeks is a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, weak, and mostly messy surf. The water is sitting at 60°, which is a bit colder than normal for this time of year – you’ll want a good hood.

The first bit of surf that’s even worth a mention starts up on Friday afternoon, August 7th, but it’s marginal at best. We’re looking at a tiny 2ft swell from the SSW, but the period is a solid 19 seconds, which is a long-period groundswell. That kind of energy at a sheltered reef break like Saint Annes can sometimes produce a cleaner wave, but the cross-onshore wind is messing it up. The combined wave energy is moderate (435), but it’s just not coming together for a proper paddle.

The rest of the first week and into the second is more of the same story. We’ve got a lot of days with cross-on winds and small, weak swell. The Sunday morning of August 9th sees the swell bump up to 3ft from the SSW, still with that long period, but the wind is still a nagging cross-onshore. The energy is moderate (478), but the conditions are holding it back. It’s frustrating because the potential is there, but the timing is off.

Heading into the second week, things get a bit more interesting, but not necessarily better for surfing. Around August 15th and 16th, the swell starts to build a bit, with 4ft from the SSW and energy climbing into the strong range (679-723). The problem is the wind stays tricky, and the wave quality is still being described as poor. By Monday, August 17th, the wind is whipping up from the NW at 12 mph, and we’ve got a 7ft short-period, wind-driven swell (7 seconds) that’s just a bumpy, choppy mess. That setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, honestly.

The real punch comes on Tuesday, August 18th afternoon. We’re looking at an 8ft swell from the WNW, but the period is a snappy 7 seconds and the wind is howling at 16 mph. The wave energy is very strong (1212), but this is expert-only, heavy, wind-affected stuff. The same goes for Wednesday, August 19th, with 8ft swell and moderate to strong energy. It’s big, it’s powerful, but it’s not clean.

Honestly, there’s no true standout session in this 16-day window. The swell is either too small or too messy, or when it gets big, the wind ruins it. Look for a sneaky early morning on the 10th of August, where the wind is light and offshore, but the swell is only 4ft. If you’re desperate, that’s your best bet. Otherwise, keep your gear waxed and wait for the next system.

Rusty, signing off.

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