Salcombe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ll level with ya – this stretch of 16 days for Salcombe is a mixed bag, and we’ve got a bit of a wait for anything decent. The first week is mostly a write-off, but there’s a glimmer of hope right at the end, and then a couple of sessions that might just get the heart pumping if you’re patient.

The overall pattern is pretty grim to start. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with no real recommendable surf from this Tuesday morning, the 18th of August, all the way through to the morning of Thursday the 27th. That’s over a week of small, messy, or wind-affected slop. The water temp is sitting at 66°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice little bonus for the body if you’re keen on a paddle even when it’s flat.

Tuesday the 18th through to Monday the 24th is a total bust. Winds are mostly cross-off or cross-on, gusty, and the swell is tiny – think 0.3 ft to 4 ft. The combined energy is weak, with values barely cracking 100 (11 to 261). The wave comment is consistently “poor surf conditions,” and the scores are a flat zero. Don’t even bother.

Wednesday the 19th shows a 3 ft W swell at 7 seconds, but with a fresh 12 mph cross-off wind, it’s just not worth it. Thursday the 20th bumps up to 6 ft W swell, but the wind is howling 19 mph cross-off, making it a messy, blown-out affair. The energy gets a bit more interesting (458-484), but the quality is shot.

Friday the 21st to Monday the 24th is a shrug of the shoulders. The swell drops to 1 ft to 3 ft, winds are onshore or cross-onshore, and the energy is back down to 20-139. Not a single standout in sight.

Now, here’s the first real lick of hope. On Thursday the 27th of August, the morning session looks like it could be the pick of the bunch. We’ve got cross-off winds from the NE at 9 mph, which will keep the surface clean. The swell is 7 ft from the WSW at 8 seconds – that’s a decent, punchy wave, but the period is short, so it’s not a classic groundswell. The combined energy jumps to 547, which is a solid, moderate energy. The wave comment finally says “expect good surf conditions,” and it’s the only slot to score a 2 out of 10. That’s our standout. 7 ft is pushing into the realm where it’s a bit much for beginners, but for the experienced crew, it’s a fun, clean wave. The break is at Salcombe, which is a sheltered spot, so the optimum swell direction from the S is a bit off, but the WSW direction is still feeding in. It’s inconsistent here, so don’t expect a constant barrage, but the quality could be there. Crowds are always a thing at Salcombe, so get in early if you want a clean one.

The afternoon of the 27th is a drop-off. The swell drops to 6 ft, but the wind swings to WSW at 9 mph, creating some cross-off conditions, but the wave comment is “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions.” The score is a 1. It’s not the same as the morning.

After that, it’s back to the doldrums. Friday the 28th through to the end of the period on the 2nd of September shows small 0.3 ft to 4 ft swells, mostly cross-on or onshore winds, and energy levels staying low (3 to 231). The 1st of September afternoon has a 6 ft WSW swell with a 6-second period, but the wind is a moderate 16 mph cross-off, and the comment is still “poor surf conditions.” The 2nd of September is small and clean but not anything to write home about.

So, the bottom line: there’s a huge gap from the 18th to the 27th of August with no surf. The only real standout is the morning of Thursday the 27th of August. That’s your window. It’s a long way off, so the forecast confidence is a bit lower, but the ingredients are there. If you can wait, it might be worth the patience. Otherwise, the kite surfers will have a field day on the beach break when the wind is up, but for paddle surfing, it’s a lean run.

Rusty.

Read more