Salcombe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Salcombe over the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, it’s a tough stretch. The forecast is a bit of a mixed bag and there are no real standouts that’ll have you racing for your board. The overall pattern looks like a lot of wind-affected, weak swell and poor conditions. We’ve got a couple of mornings that might be worth a look, but nothing that’s going to blow your mind. The first proper surfable day doesn’t show up until Friday, September 5th, so there’s a bit of a wait from now.

Let’s talk about the water first. It’s registering at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might get away with a thinner wettie.

The first real chance comes on Saturday, September 5th in the morning. We’ve got a clean 4ft swell from the west, with a period of 11 seconds. That’s a groundswell, and it’ll be packing a bit of punch, coming in with a combined energy of 351 (moderate). The real winner here is the wind – it’s light and offshore out of the WNW at just 3 mph. That’ll have the wave faces looking pretty clean. The downside is that Salcombe is an inconsistent break, and it’s also sheltered, so the swell really needs to wrap in. This is maybe the best of a pretty average bunch, but don’t expect perfection.

Then, on Monday, September 7th, there’s a pulse of energy. The morning sees a solid 5ft west swell, also with a long period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is strong at 1066 (very strong), so there’s plenty of water moving. The wind is a cross-off at 16 mph, so it’s clean enough. But it’s a “marginal” call, likely due to tide. If you know Salcombe and the tide windows, this could be your session. The afternoon is similar, but the energy drops a bit to 779 (moderate).

Tuesday, September 8th is the other morning to look at. The swell is 6ft from the west with a shorter period of 9 seconds, so a bit more of a windswell feel. The energy is strong at 544 (moderate). The wind is 19 mph offshore from the NW, which will be ripping, meaning clean, hollow waves. For experienced surfers, this could be a fun, punchy session. It’s still a bit on the bigger side for beginners though.

After that, the surf drops off and the quality goes downhill. The wind swings onshore or cross-shore for most of the following days, and the swell gets small and weak. There are a few days with glassy conditions around the 15th of September, but with only 3ft of weak, short-period swell, it’ll be small and slow. The energy is only 168 (weak), so you’ll be fighting for scraps.

In short, keep your eyes on the 5th, 7th, and 8th of September for the cleanest windows. The rest of the 16 days looks like a write-off, with a lot of flat or poor conditions. It’s a bit of a frustrating run for the area.

Rusty.

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