Staithes Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Staithes over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, it’s a tough run. This is a reef break that’s inconsistent, and for the first twelve days or so, it’s basically a write-off. The wind is all wrong—onshore or cross-shore, often fresh—and the swell is tiny, weak, and messy. You’ll see days of nothing worth paddling out for. There’s a gap from now until about the 19th of July where you can safely leave the boards in the shed.

The water temperature sits around 58°, which is about normal for the time of year.

Now, there’s a glimmer. On the 19th of July, Sunday morning, we start to see something change. The swell picks up to 6ft from the north, with a period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 539 (moderate wave energy). The wind is light onshore from the north at 6 mph. It’s still a little messy, and for a reef, that onshore angle isn't ideal. This is marginal, not a standout, but it’s the first sign of life. The afternoon stays choppy.

The real standout… the one that gets the blood moving… is Tuesday the 21st of July. Tuesday afternoon, we’ve got a 6ft north-northeast swell with a 9-second period, and the wind turns offshore from the southwest at 9 mph. That’s gentle offshore and clean. The combined energy is 423 (moderate wave energy). This is the pick of the whole forecast. For this inconsistent reef, a clean offshore window with chest-high sets is rare. It won’t be crowded—often quiet here—and the quality should be there. If you can only paddle out once in this stretch, make it Tuesday afternoon. The morning also looks promising with cross-off wind and a similar 6ft swell, but the afternoon has the better wind direction for Staithes.

After that, Wednesday the 22nd fades back into onshore junk. So, one session to aim for, a couple of days prior that are just “maybe,” and a whole lot of flat and windy nothing before that. That’s Staithes for you—when it’s on, it’s worth the wait.

Rusty.

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