Swanage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer for Swanage over the next couple of weeks. I’ve got to be straight with you – it’s a grim run for surf. The swell window is barely cracking a whisper for most of this period, and when it does show a pulse, the wind and conditions just aren't playing ball.

Right off the bat, we’re looking at a long stretch of nothing. From now until around the 18th, it’s mostly flat or tiny, poor quality waves. The wind is a persistent problem, mostly a moderate to fresh breeze out of the west-southwest, often cross-offshore, which keeps the water clean but there's nothing to ride. The swell heights are mostly below 1 ft, and even when a little 2 ft pulse shows up on the 18th morning, the period is a short 5 seconds – that’s just slop. For days on end, the combined energy is either zero or in the weak range. There’s no escaping it: for paddle surfing, it’s a write-off.

Then we get to Saturday the 19th. This is the only real event in the whole outlook, but it comes with a massive catch. The swell bumps up to 7 ft from the southwest, with a short period of 7 seconds. The combined energy jumps to a strong 434 – you’ll feel that. But here’s the thing: that size, with that short period and a strong breeze of 28 mph from the southwest (cross-off), is a mess. At 7 ft, that’s expert-only territory, and the wind will make it lumpy. Swanage is a very sheltered, rarely breaks spot, so to see it firing at that size is unusual, but the quality is still rated poor. Honestly, the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than a paddle session. Sunday the 20th morning has a tiny 1 ft groundswell (16-second period) and light offshore winds – clean, but too small to get excited about. After that, it’s back to flat, poor conditions right through to the end of the month. The last morning of the forecast, the 28th, has a cross-onshore wind and choppy water. Not one for the diary.

So, to sum it up: a week and a half of flatness, one day of big, ugly, onshore-charged surf for experts only, then back to nothing. Swanage isn’t a consistent spot at the best of times, so a blank run like this is more normal for the area. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d leave the board at home.

Rusty.

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