Sutton-on-Sea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

To be straight with you, it’s a lean run. The whole 16-day window is a struggle. There’s no real swell to speak of, and the first decent indication of any surf doesn’t show up until Thursday the 20th of August, and even then it’s a long way from good. The break we’re looking at is Sutton-on-Sea – a beginner spot that’s inconsistent and exposed to the north. The water temp is sitting at 69°F that first day, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year.

We kick off with a long, flat gap. Nothing worth paddling for from Monday the 17th right through the rest of the week. The first tiny bump comes Thursday morning the 20th with a 1ft swell from the NNE, period of 8 seconds, and a weak energy reading of 19. The wind is offshore from the WSW at 9 mph, so it’s clean, but there’s just no power. By Thursday afternoon, the swell bumps up to 3ft from the north, but the period crashes to 4 seconds – that’s windswell junk, and the energy jumps to 27. Still, the wind is cross-off from the north at 9 mph, so it’s clean, but it’s not surfable in any meaningful way.

Friday the 21st sees the biggest numbers of the whole run, but don’t get excited. Morning brings 3ft from the north at 8 seconds, with moderate cross-shore winds from the north at 16 mph. The energy climbs to 134 – that’s moderate energy – but that cross-shore wind is going to chop it up. By afternoon, it’s 4ft from the NNE, same period, and the wind cranks to 19 mph from the north, making it lumpy and cross-shore. Energy hits 217. It’s a messy, blown-out scene. That size is fine for beginners, but the quality is poor.

Saturday the 22nd carries similar 4ft swell from the north, 8 seconds, with moderate cross-shore winds again. Energy is 195. Sunday the 23rd drops back to 3ft, and the wind goes cross-on from the NE, making it choppy. By the time we get to Monday the 24th, the swell is down to 2ft, with a light cross-shore wind from the north at 3 mph, so it’s clean but tiny.

From Tuesday the 25th through to the end of the forecast, it’s a slow fade. We’re looking at 0.3ft to 2ft, mostly short-period windswell, with energy values dropping into single digits. A few clean windows pop up, like the glassy conditions on Tuesday the 1st of September, but with only 0.3ft of swell and period around 10 seconds, you’re not catching anything.

Honestly, there’s no standout. Nothing is worth highlighting. The best of a bad bunch is probably Friday the 21st for the biggest swell, but the wind is terrible. If you’re a kite surfer, that Friday afternoon with 4ft and a fresh cross-shore might be more interesting than it is for a paddle surfer. But for us wave riders, it’s a blank run. This kind of flat spell is pretty normal for the area, so don’t lose hope – forecasts can always change.

Rusty.

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