Swanage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at the stretch ahead for Swanage. Honestly, it's a rough one. This is a spot that's "very sheltered" and "rarely breaks," and this forecast is really testing that. The water is sitting at a very warm 69°F, a huge 7°F warmer than usual for this time of year, which is a real oddity, but unfortunately, it doesn’t make the waves any better.

We’re looking at a long gap with no real surf to speak of. From today, Wednesday the 26th, right through the end of August and into the start of September, it's mostly flat or tiny, weak dribble. The little bumps we do get, like that 0.7ft to 2ft of swell, are from short-period windswell or just cross-offshore breezes cleaning up a completely flat surface. The combined energy is in the low double digits, basically nothing.

That big pulse of swell comes in on Friday the 28th of August, around 8ft from the southwest, and it stays chunky through the weekend, hitting 10ft on the Saturday. The combined energy is strong, hitting 817 on Saturday afternoon. But here’s the kicker: the wind is howling. Strong breeze and near-gale force cross-offshore winds. That kind of power on a very sheltered break like Swanage is just going to be a messy, blown-out whitewash. No bueno for a paddle surfer. Honestly, with those wind strengths and the swell size, that setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than proper wave riding.

Monday the 31st of August is probably the best we get, but it's still not a recommendation. Morning sees a fresh offshore wind from the west with a 6ft southwest swell (500 energy). It'll be clean, but the period is a short 8 seconds, meaning it's windswell, not groundswell. It’s likely to be a bit lumpy and walled up. By afternoon the wind goes cross-off and drops a bit.

After that, we’re back into another dry spell. A small bump shows up on the 4th of September with some offshore wind and a 6ft swell, but again, it's short period windswell with heavy winds. Then the 5th of September brings a cleaner 2ft to 2ft WSW groundswell with an 11-second period and gentle breezes, which is a tease, but the combined energy is weak at 87 to 111. The rest of the second week just fizzles out into flatness again.

So, what’s the best on offer? It’s grim. The absolute standout, if you can call it that, is the Monday 31st of August morning session. It’s the only time you get a clean, offshore wind on a 6-foot-plus swell. But don't get your hopes up; it's a one-session wonder in a long, bleak forecast. There's nothing else that comes close.

Rusty, signing off.

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