Salcombe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Salcombe. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest, but there are a couple of windows worth getting excited about.

The water’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 65°, so that’s a nice little bonus when you’re sitting out there waiting.

The first real chance to get wet looks like Friday the 4th of September. It’s not going to be a classic, though. We’ve got a 7ft swell from the WSW, but it’s a short-period 8 seconds, and that cross-off wind from the WNW at 12 mph is making it a bit of a wrestle. The combined energy is moderate (522). It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for it, and the tide is making things a bit questionable. Not the best start.

Saturday morning the 5th is a bit of a tease. The swell drops to 4ft from the W, but the period jumps to 12 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The wind is light at 6 mph from the WNW, cross-off, so it’ll be clean. The energy is moderate (383). It’s surfable but very ordinary, as the report says. The afternoon sees the wind swing onshore, so morning is your only shot.

Now, Monday the 7th of September is where it gets interesting. The morning session is the standout of the whole run. We’ve got a 5ft swell from the W, with a 13-second period, giving it some real punch. The wind is offshore from the WNW at 12 mph, and the combined energy is strong (911). That’s a groundswell, and it’s going to be clean, with good shape. It’s the best on offer, no doubt. The afternoon gets a bit bigger at 6ft, but the wind picks up to 19 mph, making it a bit of a handful.

After that, the forecast gets pretty grim. From Tuesday the 8th right through to the middle of the month, it’s a long run of poor conditions. The swell is either too small, too short period, or the wind is howling. There’s a big gap of about a week where you’re better off doing something else.

We do get a little pulse of glassy conditions on the 12th of September – Saturday morning has a 3ft swell from the W with an 11-second period, and the wind is a glassy 3 mph from the ENE. The energy is moderate (260). It’s clean, but it’s just too small to get excited about. A log might be fun, but it’s not a standout.

The final week brings a bit of a north-easterly wind pattern, which is cross-off or cross-shore for Salcombe. On the 17th of September, Thursday morning, we have a 5ft swell from the W with a short 8-second period, and the wind is cross-off from the NE at 19 mph. The energy is moderate (358). It’s clean, but that period is short, so it’s going to be a bit weak and lumpy. The afternoon sees a bigger 6ft swell with a 10-second period and a lot of energy (1027), but the cross-shore wind will put a chop on it.

Honestly, if you’re looking for a day to paddle out, lock in Monday the 7th of September for the morning. That’s your best bet. The rest is a waiting game.

Rusty.

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