Swanage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at the Swanage forecast, and between you and me, it’s pretty bleak around here for the next couple of weeks. This spot is super sheltered, and the swell just isn’t finding its way in. There are many days where there’s simply nothing worth paddling out for.

The water at Swanage is sitting at about 64°, which is much warmer than you’d expect for early July – a solid five degrees above the norm. That can feel nice on the skin, but it doesn’t help the waves.

Right from the start, Saturday morning the 4th, we’ve got a tiny 0.7ft West-South-West swell with an 11-second period. Combined energy is just 11, pitifully weak. Wind is offshore, though, but with waves that small, it’s hardly a factor. The afternoon sees the swell basically vanish. The next few days continue this trend: Sunday (the 5th) offers 1ft maximum with a shocking 4-second period, total energy only 6. That’s not surf, that’s a lake ripple.

Through Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week, the swell stays below 1ft and the wind stays clean or offshore, but it doesn’t matter – there’s no push. By Thursday the 9th, we see a bit of wind swell pop up from the East, hitting 3ft on the morning, but that’s coming with a stiff onshore breeze of 19 mph, making it a bumpy, messy mess. The period is still a weak 5 seconds. Not worth it.

Friday morning the 10th is glassy with hardly a breath of wind, but again, the swell is a pathetic 2ft with a 4-second period. It would be clean but too weak to break properly.

The best shot, and I’m saying this lightly, comes on Saturday the 11th. The afternoon shows a 5ft easterly swell, period climbing to 6 seconds. Combined wave energy hits a moderate 123. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the WSW, which should keep things reasonably clean. It’s a tiny step up, but the wave quality is still labelled as poor. It’s the only session in the whole run where you might get a few scraps. Expect it to be a little peaky and weak, but for Swanage, this is as close to a standout as we get – and it’s only for moderate wave energy.

Sunday the 12th has a similar size, 5ft from the East in the morning, but it’s cross-on and choppy. The afternoon drops back a touch. After that, it’s back to tiny, weak surf with onshore wind until we hit Friday the 17th.

Friday the 17th of July brings a new pulse from the South-West in the morning – 4ft with a 7-second period, and clean offshore winds from the WNW. Combined energy is now a strong 134. That’s got some push, though the short period means it’ll be a bit crumbly. The afternoon jumps to 6ft from the SW, period still 7 seconds, and the energy rockets to 301 (strong). Wind holds offshore from the West at 16 mph. This is actually the real standout of the whole forecast window – it’s the biggest, cleanest, and most energetic we’ll see, but at 6ft, it’s getting a bit punchy for beginners. It’s a Friday, so crowds are possible. This is the day to mark on the calendar.

That’s about it. A few small, forgettable days follow through the 18th and 19th, but nothing that’ll get the heart racing.

Stay patient, keep an eye on that Friday the 17th. Until then, the board’s staying in the car.

Rusty.

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