Swanage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what we’ve got for the Swanage region over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you — it’s a tough stretch.

Right off the bat, there’s a massive gap at the start. From July 30th all the way through August 6th, there is absolutely nothing worth paddling out for. The swell is tiny — we’re talking ankle-biters at 0.3 ft to 0.7 ft, with combined wave energy barely reaching double digits (2 to 8). The wind is often offshore or clean, but with no size to work with, it’s a flat spell. Water temperature is sitting at 69°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year — a solid 8°F above average — so if you’re just having a swim, it’s lovely, but for surfing? Forget it.

The first faint glimmer comes on August 7th, Friday morning. We see a little bump up to 3 ft from the east with offshore winds from the west at 9 mph, and combined energy hits 60. Still, the period is only 5 seconds — that’s weak, short-period windswell. The surf report still calls it “poor surf conditions.” It’s small and junky. The afternoon stays similar but with cross-offshore wind. Not worth getting excited about.

Saturday August 8th holds similar — 3 ft to 4 ft from the east, periods still around 5 seconds, energy in the low 60s. Winds are light to moderate cross-offshore, so the surface will be clean, but the waves lack any real push or shape. You might find a little fun one if you’re desperate, but I wouldn’t call it a standout.

Then we drop back into near-flat conditions from August 9th onward. August 10th Monday morning actually shows a bit of glass — wind is dead calm from the southwest, 3 mph, with 2 ft from the southwest at a 7-second period and energy of 54. That’s the closest we get to anything decent in the entire outlook. It’s small and clean, but still nothing to write home about.

From August 11th onward, it’s back to tiny, weak waves — 0.7 ft to 1.0 ft with energy in single digits or very low double digits. The wind often stays clean or offshore, but the swell just isn’t there. By August 12th and 13th, we’re down to 0.3 ft again, with fresh offshore winds. It’s a washout.

Honestly, over this entire 16-day window, there isn’t a single true standout. The best chance for a surf is on August 10th, Monday morning, at Swanage — with glassy conditions and a tiny 2 ft southwest swell. But even that is marginal. For beginners, anything over 5 ft is too much, and we never even get close to that, but the quality is so low it doesn’t matter. This is a rare, quiet spell for the area — Swanage is a very sheltered, rarely-breaking spot at the best of times, and this forecast confirms it’s a long flat run.

If you’re a kiter, the stronger offshore winds on August 12th and 13th might look more interesting than paddling out. For the rest of us, it’s a time to rest the shoulders and wait for a proper swell.

Rusty.

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