Swanage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Swanage is cooking up over the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, it’s a tough outlook for the immediate future. We’ve got a long, dry spell of nothing happening. From now until around the 23rd of September, the wave energy is pathetically weak – we’re talking combined energy readings in the single digits and teens (like 10 to 61). Even when there is a tiny bump, the swell direction is WSW which is fine, but the size is barely a ripple. The water temperature is a notable 67°F, a full 6° *warmer* than usual for this time of year, which is very unusual. For the first week at least, you’d be better off having a swim.

There’s no real stand-out day to get excited about. The wind does go offshore or cross-off on a few mornings in the first week, like on Wednesday the 16th and Thursday the 17th, but there’s just no swell to work with. A 0.7ft wave with a 13-second period on Friday the 18th is just a long-period bump that won't break properly. It’s barely enough to get your feet wet.

Things try to change around the 23rd of September. We see a jump in combined energy to 128 on Wednesday morning and 55 in the afternoon, with a 2ft swell from the SW at 15 seconds. But the wind is onshore (ENE), and the quality is still listed as poor. Then from the 24th to the 27th, we get a run of pure easterly wind swell. The heights get up to 5ft on the 25th, with combined energy reaching 204, but with a short period of 5-6 seconds and onshore easterly winds blowing hard at 18-25 mph, it’s going to be messy and choppy. That’s more of a kite-surfing scenario than a clean paddle-surfing one.

The only possible bright spot? The end of the month. On the 30th of September, into the 1st of October, the swell bumps up. On Wednesday morning the 30th, we're looking at a 5ft swell from the SW, with a solid 10-second period and a hefty combined energy of 541. The issue? The wind is cross-on from the NE at 18 mph, so it’ll be lumpy. If that wind backs off or swings offshore, it could be alright, but as it stands, it’s a messy cleanup set. The afternoon picks up to 6ft but with onshore wind.

Overall, there is no true standout in this 16-day window. The first week is a write-off. The second week has some size but is ruined by bad wind direction. If you’re desperate, the 30th might offer the best chance, but keep your expectations low. Swanage is a very sheltered spot that rarely breaks, so a blank run like this isn’t abnormal.

Rusty.

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