Sidi Ifni Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s shaking for Sidi Ifni over the next couple of weeks.

Right now, things are pretty flat and messy. We’ve got a stretch from Monday the 24th of August right through to the end of the month where the surf is just not worth paddling out for. The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, the water’s chopped up, and the wave heights are small and weak. You’re looking at a blank run of several days with no real recommendations. It’s one of those periods where you’re better off leaving the board in the car.

The first real glimmer of hope comes on the morning of the 28th of August. Swell jumps up to 6ft from the NNW with an 8-second period, and the wind turns onshore from the NW at just 3 mph. It’s still labelled as marginal, so don’t expect perfection, but the energy is moderate (393) and it’s the first semi-decent pulse we’ve seen.

The standout, though, has to be the morning of Tuesday the 1st of September. The swell is 6ft from the NNW, 8-second period, and the wind is glassy – absolutely dead calm. That’s a huge plus. The wave energy is moderate (504), and the break is a beach and reef setup, so with the swell coming from NNW and Sidi Ifni’s optimum being NW, it’s a decent match. It’s a fairly consistent spot, though crowds are sometimes an issue, so expect some company. This is the best on offer, no question. The water temperature is 71°, which is dead on average for this time of year, so nothing unusual there.

We get another crack on the morning of Wednesday the 2nd of September with 8ft from the NNW, 9-second period, but the wind is cross-on from the west at 3 mph. That’s still light, but it’s not glassy. The energy is strong (918). For the more experienced crew, this could be a fun, punchy morning.

Then, on Friday the 4th of September, we get another glassy morning. Swell is 7ft from the NNW, 9-second period, offshore wind from the WNW at 3 mph. This is a very good forecast, but it’s a long way out. The energy is strong (708), and if it holds, this could be another top day.

Towards the end of the forecast period, around the 7th and 8th of September, the swell drops to about 3ft to 4ft but the period jumps right up to 15-18 seconds. That’s a very long period groundswell from the NW. At a beach and reef setup like Sidi Ifni, that long period can make waves break a bit straight and tricky, but the energy is actually strong (up to 848). With light cross-on or onshore winds, it’s marginal but worth keeping an eye on if you know the break well. Those are for the second week though, so treat them as promising but less certain.

So, for the next 16 days, the clear standout is the morning of the 1st of September – glassy, clean, 6ft swell, moderate energy. That’s the one to pencil in.

Rusty.

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