Sandsend Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this 16-day window for our stretch of coast is looking pretty bleak. There’s a real dry spell on the horizon, and I’m not talking about the weather. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing at the start, and honestly, it's not until the end of the first week that things even start to look like you should grab a board.

We’re looking at Sandsend Bay (Yorkshire) for this whole run. The water temp is sitting about 62°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so at least you won't need the thickest suit in the quiver.

The first few days are a total washout. Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th are just nothing—tiny, weak energy, clean but useless. Thursday the 20th sees a bit more push, but the wind goes onshore and it’s all chop and mess. Not worth the paddle out.

Friday the 21st is where it starts to get interesting, swell-wise. We’ve got a 7ft swell on the morning, with a moderate offshore wind. But the wave comment is just “poor surf conditions.” All that energy and no shape. The combined energy is strong at 546, but it’s messy and the period is only 8 seconds – short-period windswell, not the good stuff. It’s a lot of whitewater and not much else. By the afternoon it drops a touch, and it stays a bit lumpy on Saturday the 22nd, though the Saturday afternoon surf is at least becoming surfable, albeit ordinary.

Sunday the 23rd morning is the only real nod towards something you might call a wave. We’ve got clean conditions with a light offshore breeze and a 4ft swell. The comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s the best of a bad bunch, but it’s still not a standout day by any stretch. The crowd factor is “often,” so you won't be alone if you do head out.

And then, it’s gone. From Sunday afternoon onwards, it's a slow, sad slide into flatness. The swell just dies on its feet, and the wind starts swinging around to the south and east, making things choppy and lumpy through the middle of the week. The energy readings drop into single digits and low tens – that’s weak, weak stuff.

Looking further out, the final stretch isn't any better. The wind is howling from the south and southeast, and there’s next to nothing in the water. A few clean moments with offshore winds at the end of August, but the swell is only 0.7ft. You’d need a paddleboard, not a surfboard.

So, here’s the deal: If you're desperate, Sunday the 23rd morning is your only real shot, and even then, you're not going to be threading any barrels. The rest of the window is a write-off. It’s a blank run for the area, and sometimes that’s just how it goes. It won't stay poor forever, and the long-range forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it. But for now, I’d be doing some board maintenance and waiting for the next proper groundswell.

Stay salty.

Rusty.

Read more