Salcombe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me break this down for you.

The next 16 days look pretty bleak for a proper surf at Salcombe. We’ve got a long stretch ahead with only small, weak waves and a lot of onshore wind. Honestly, nothing here is really going to get the heart pumping.

Let’s start with the overall picture. For the first few days, from Sunday the 9th through the start of the following week, the swell is tiny. On Sunday afternoon, we’re looking at a weak 0.7ft from the west with a short 9-second period, and it’s a cross-off wind from the WSW at 19 mph. The combined energy is only 13, which is next to nothing. Water temp is 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year.

Monday the 10th morning is glassy with a slight 1ft swell from the SW, period 7 seconds, energy just 23. It’s clean but there’s simply no power. Monday afternoon gets a light cross-on breeze and the swell stays pitiful.

Tuesday the 11th through Wednesday the 12th sees a slight bump in size, with the swell hitting around 4ft on Tuesday afternoon, but it’s from the east with a super short 5-second period and combined energy of 74. The wind is cross-on and choppy. Wednesday morning the energy jumps to 181 with a 4ft east swell and a 7-second period, but it’s a fresh cross-shore wind making it lumpy and messy. Not surfable in any good way.

Thursday the 13th morning has the best conditions we’ll see for a while: a 3ft swell from the WSW, 11-second period, combined energy 221, and a light cross-off breeze from the NNE at 6 mph. It’s clean. But the swell is still too small and weak to really get excited about. Thursday afternoon gets a cross-on breeze and choppy conditions.

Friday the 14th morning shows an offshore wind from the WNW at 12 mph with a 3ft west swell, 9-second period, energy 107. Clean again, but the size is just not there. Friday afternoon is similar.

From there, it just trails off into tiny waves and bad wind for the rest of the period. Saturday the 15th through Monday the 17th has swell under 3ft and energy under 64, with cross-off or cross-on winds. Not worth paddling out.

The real kicker is from Tuesday the 18th onward. On Tuesday morning, the swell jumps to 4ft from the west with a 7-second period and energy of 192, but it’s a light cross-on wind. Tuesday afternoon has a 4ft west swell, 8-second period, energy 143, and a cross-off breeze making it clean. This is probably the most energy we’ll see, but the short period and onshore angle won’t give you any real shape.

Wednesday the 19th morning is glassy with a tiny 2ft west swell, 8-second period, energy 43. Clean but flat. Wednesday afternoon has a 0.3ft west swell with a very long 15-second period, but the energy is only 11. That long period at a beach break? It’ll just roll through straight and close out.

The last few days, from Thursday the 20th through Monday the 24th, are all small (1.0ft to 3ft), with short periods and onshore or cross-shore winds. Energy stays below 90. Nothing doing.

The best of a bad lot: If I had to pick a moment to sit in the water and maybe catch a couple of knee-high sliders, it would be Thursday the 13th morning or Friday the 14th morning. Both have clean conditions with light offshore or cross-off breezes, and the swell is from a decent west direction. But don’t expect any power or size. It’s a poor outlook overall.

Stay patient, lads. This stretch is a write-off.

- Rusty

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