Swanage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at the local surf scene for the next couple of weeks.

For this stretch of coast, we’ve got a bit of a waiting game on our hands. The overall pattern is a long, drawn-out period of pretty poor conditions, with the odd flash of something that might get you out of bed. The first week especially is a write-off for most of us, plagued by strong winds and messy, short-period swell. Patience is the name of the game.

Right, let's start where it matters. The first real chance to get the board wet won't be until Monday the 31st of August. The morning at Swanage sees a 6 ft swell from the WSW, but it's a choppy, short-period 9 seconds with a fresh breeze. It's not great, but it's an offshore wind, so it'll be cleaner than the days before. The afternoon improves a little with a 5 ft wave, but the conditions are still a slog. The combined swell energy is moderate at 478-508 (moderate wave energy).

The rest of that first week is a real struggle. We get a bump up to 7 ft on Thursday the 3rd of September, but that's a horrible 6-second period with a cross-off wind. It's just a wind-swell mess with a combined energy of 376 (moderate wave energy). The clearer skies and offshore winds on the afternoon of the 3rd and into the 4th of September give us a cleaner look at 7 ft and 6 ft, but the period is still too short to hold any shape. It's borderline interesting for a kite surfer more than a paddler.

We hit a real flat spell from the 5th of September right through to the 11th of September. There are some tiny, long-period pulses, like a 1 ft at 13 seconds on the 4th and a 0.7 ft at 11 seconds on the 7th, but there's no energy behind them to speak of. The combined energy is a measly 12-66 (weak wave energy). It's a whole week of flat, small, or unmanageable conditions.

Now, the standout. The best of the whole forecast lands on Saturday the 12th of September. The morning session at Swanage is the one to circle. We’re looking at a solid 8 ft swell from the WSW, with a fresh offshore breeze from the WNW. That's a clean, powerful wave. The combined swell energy hits 750 (strong to very strong wave energy). This is proper, expert-level surf. The wave height is over 8 ft, so this is not for beginners. The 8-second period is a bit short, so it’ll be a bit dumpy and fast, keeping the crowd factor down as only the strong will be able to handle it. The afternoon sees it drop to 7 ft, but the wind cranks up to a near-gale, so get it in the morning.

After that, we get a bit of a leftover on Sunday the 13th of September, with a 2 ft to 3 ft groundswell at 12 seconds. It’s clean, but it’s a drop-off from the day before. The long period means it may break a bit flat at the main beach, but it will be a nice, clean option for a cruise.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a washout, the second week has a flat spell, but that Saturday the 12th of September is the absolute standout. Mark it down.

Rusty

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