Swanage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s get into it. For Swanage, it’s a tough outlook. Over the whole 16-day window, the surf is rated as poor throughout, with the combined swell energy very weak at just 0 to 321 in the early days – that’s barely a bump. This is a very sheltered spot, and it rarely breaks, so a blank run like this is more normal for the area than unusual. Don’t expect much of a paddle.

Let’s run through the week. Friday the 28th has no surf at all. Saturday the 29th morning sees a 7ft SW swell, but the period is a short 6 seconds, so it’ll be lumpy and weak. The wind is a strong 28 mph cross-offshore, which will keep the surface clean, but the swell energy is still only 321 (weak). By the afternoon, the swell jumps to 12ft from the SW with a 8-second period, and combined energy hits 1689 (moderate to strong), but the wind cranks up to 37 mph from the SW – that’s near gale force. That’s way too big and windy for a beginner, and the conditions will be messy. Really, that setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Sunday the 30th morning drops to 4ft SW at 9 seconds, with 255 energy, but the wind is still a moderate 16 mph cross-off. It’s clean but very weak. Monday the 31st morning has 6ft from the WSW at a short 7 seconds, with 299 energy and a fresh 22 mph offshore wind. That will give clean conditions, but the short period means the waves will lack push. The afternoon improves slightly with a 5ft WSW swell at 9 seconds, 374 energy, and a lighter 16 mph offshore. That’s probably the pick of the first week, but it’s still a poor surf day overall.

From Tuesday 1st September, the swell drops right off to 2ft and below, with energy under 50. Wednesday 2nd and Thursday 3rd are flat to near-flat. Friday 4th brings a brief 0.7ft swell from the WSW, with a long 14-second period, but the energy is a weak 19. A long period groundswell like that would be better at a point or reef, but here it’s just not enough size.

Heading into the second week, Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th are flat. Monday 7th has 1ft with a pathetic 4-second period – essentially windslop. There’s a brief uptick on Wednesday 9th afternoon, where a 7ft SW swell at 6 seconds and 326 energy shows up, but with a moderate 16 mph cross-offshore wind. Again, it’s a poor surf day. Thursday 10th morning sees 7ft from the WSW at 7 seconds, 384 energy, but a very strong 28 mph offshore wind – that’s strong offshore and clean but will be really hard to paddle into. The afternoon has the same swell but the wind jumps to 34 mph near gale cross-offshore, making it completely blown out for surfing.

After that, it fades back to tiny, weak swell for the rest of the forecast. There’s no standout window here. If you’re desperate for a paddle, the Monday 31st afternoon has the cleanest conditions with the most shape, but keep expectations on the floor.

Rusty.

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