Swanage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. Rusty here, checking the charts for the next couple of weeks.

First up, right off the bat, you've got to know the water is weirdly warm. At Swanage, the sea temperature is sitting at a balmy 68°, which is a full 6° warmer than usual for this time of year. That's very unusual, so don't expect your normal autumn wetsuit.

Honestly, for the first week and a half, it’s a tough watch. The surf is tiny and the conditions are messy. There's a run of poor surf that stretches from Wednesday afternoon all the way through to the middle of the next week. You’ll see a few days with almost nothing rideable, with the combined energy often dropping to barely a whisper (3 to 77). It’s a proper blank spell for Swanage.

The first real glimmer of hope doesn't come until Sunday the 20th of September. That morning, the swell picks up to 5 ft from the WSW with a short, weak period of 6 seconds. The combined energy jumps to (247), which is moderate, but it’s a short-period windswell that won't have much shape. It's surfable, but very ordinary. The wind is light and cross-off, so it’ll be clean, but don't expect much power.

The best of the entire run, if you can call it that, is that same Sunday morning on the 20th. It’s the only time the swell tops 5 ft, which will be a bit much for total beginners, but the clean conditions might make it worth a paddle for the rest of you. The swell direction is WSW, which is close to the optimum SW for this sheltered spot, but the short period (6 seconds) means it’ll be a bit soft and won’t hold up well. It’s the only standout in a very flat period.

The rest of the following week is back to tiny, unrideable waves with onshore winds. The forecast confidence for that Sunday is about as good as it gets for the second week, but it’s still a long way out.

Rusty.

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