Scratby Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surf’s coming back around. It’s been a bit flat and messy, but there’s a window of cleaner energy on the horizon. Don’t expect any groundswell monsters, but there are a couple of sessions worth getting damp for.

Right now, and for the next few days, Scratby (Norfolk) is pretty much a write-off. We’ve got a weak, short-period northerly windswell that’s getting chopped up by onshore breezes. The wave energy is weak (values around 11-17), and the swell is barely pushing 0.7-1 ft. It’s super inconsistent and poor, so you’re not missing anything. The water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about.

Come Tuesday the 18th, we get a slight bump as winds turn offshore from the west. Swell pushes to 1 ft with a period of 7 seconds. It’s clean but still tiny. The energy is weak (13). You’ll get a few knee-high sliders on a longboard, but it’s more about the peace and quiet than riding waves.

Wednesday the 19th is where things start to get a little more interesting. We see a bigger pulse of swell from the north, 2 ft at 6 seconds, and the winds are offshore, making for a glassy, clean surface. The combined energy is still weak (33-41), but it’s the best shape we’ve seen so far. It’s still small and not for the masses, but there’s potential for a fun, mellow session on the inside.

Then it dips again Thursday, before a more substantial push of swell arrives Friday the 21st. The swell builds to 3 ft, but the wind swings north and becomes cross-shore, adding a bit of texture to the surface. The energy is starting to pick up (63-103), but it’s still poor surf conditions. It’s getting bigger, but not cleaner.

The weekend of the 22nd and 23rd sees the swell hold around 3-4 ft, but it’s coming from the northeast with a cross-onshore wind. The energy is moderate now (144-169), making it more powerful, but the chop will be there. Expect lumpy, cross-onshore conditions. It’s surfable on the right board, but it won’t be pretty. This remains a beach break, and a longer-period swell here can be a bit too straight, but the period is only 7-8 seconds, so it’s not a factor.

Things get messy and a bit unruly from Monday the 24th through Tuesday the 25th. The swell picks up to 4-5 ft, but the wind ramps up to a strong 22-28 mph from the northeast. This is stronger cross-onshore wind chopping up a bigger, lumpy swell. With that kind of onshore wind and size, this is going to be less about surfing and more about kitesurfing. The wave energy is moderate to strong (177-219), but the quality is poor. It’s more for the foil or kite crew.

After that blowout, it cleans up Wednesday the 26th. Winds turn offshore and the swell drops back to 2-3 ft from the northwest. It’s clean with moderate energy (57-87), but still small and weak. A decent windswell, but not a standout.

And that’s about it. After that, from the 27th onward, it just fades away into tiny, weak, and inconsistent surf. We’re talking under 2 ft, with energy dropping off to single digits. There is absolutely nothing on offer for the final few days of the forecast window. It looks like a blank run, which is fairly normal for this area.

So, looking at the whole picture, the standout is Wednesday the 19th for the clean conditions, even if it’s small. The other one to keep an eye on is Friday the 21st, as it will have double the size, even if it’s a bit bumpy. Everything else is either too small, too blown out, or just a flat mess. Keep your expectations low, and you might catch a fun one.

Rusty

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