Swanage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’ve looked over the charts for the next couple of weeks, and I gotta be straight with you—it’s a grim stretch for Swanage. This is one of those times where the ocean just isn’t playing ball. There’s a massive gap right at the start with nothing to ride, and honestly, the whole 16-day window is a struggle.

For the first few days, from Thursday the 27th of August right through to the end of the month, the swell is either tiny, messy, or the wind is howling. On Friday the 28th, the wind is a strong breeze from the WSW at 25 mph, and although there’s a 6 ft swell from the southwest with a short period of 6 seconds, the conditions are just poor. The combined energy is moderate at 275, but it’s not worth paddling out. Saturday the 29th is even worse—swell hits 8 ft to 10 ft from the southwest, period is a short 6-7 seconds, and with a near gale wind at 34 mph, the energy is strong (903) but it’s blown out. That’s kite-surfing territory, not for surfers.

The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there, but it’s not gonna help the quality.

We see a little bit of a break on Monday the 31st of August. The morning shows a 4 ft swell from the southwest with an 8-second period, and the wind is offshore from the west at 16 mph. It’s a moderate breeze, so the waves could be clean, but the energy is only 192—moderate at best. The problem is Swanage is very sheltered and rarely breaks, and the optimum swell direction is from the southwest, but the swell is coming from the southwest, so it’s not lining up perfectly. The score is still a zero, so I’d call it a gamble.

There’s really nothing consistent until the 6th of September, Sunday morning. Finally, we get a 3 ft swell from the WSW with a 9-second period, a gentle offshore wind from the WSW at 9 mph, and the combined energy is 221—moderate. The description says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” and it’s a 1 out of 10. That’s the best we’ve got. For a spot that’s rarely breaking, seeing it come alive even a little is something, but it’s not a standout.

After that, it’s back to flat or poor conditions. The 11th of September, Friday morning, has a 6 ft swell from the WSW with an 8-second period, but the wind is a moderate cross-onshore from the north-northeast at 12 mph, making it choppy. Energy is 447—strong—but it’s not clean.

So, the honest truth: there’s no standout session here. The only faint glimmer is that Sunday morning on the 6th of September. But for a place like Swanage, it’s not unusual to have a blank run like this. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d keep the board in the bag.

Rusty

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