Swanage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – Swanage is going through a real quiet spell. Most of the next 16 days are looking flat or tiny, and the wind is often messy. There’s a bit of a pulse towards the end of August and into early September, but it’s not the sort of thing that’s going to get the blood pumping hard. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing much on the table, so keep your expectations low.

We start the forecast period on Sunday, the 23rd of August. Right now, it’s flat. A tiny 0.3ft ripple from the south with a light ENE breeze. The water is a very warm 69°F, which is a massive 7°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s really unusual, you won’t need a thick suit. But honestly, there’s no surf to enjoy it with.

Monday the 24th is a write-off. Strong east winds gusting to 25 mph keep things blown out and tiny. The swell barely gets to 1ft. Tuesday the 25th offers a little bump from the east, 5ft, but the period is a gutless 6 seconds, so it’s just messy, weak, and full of wind. The combined energy is only 141 (moderate), but it’s not surfable. Avoid it.

We then have a gap with nothing worthwhile until the 27th of August. On Thursday the 27th afternoon, there’s a slight improvement – 4ft from the southwest with a 7-second period and clean cross-off winds. The energy is 156 (moderate), but it’s still not a standout. Friday the 28th is a write-off with thunderstorms and choppy conditions.

The first real punch of swell comes on Saturday, the 29th of August. The morning shows 7ft from the southwest, period of 9 seconds, with a fresh cross-off breeze. The combined energy jumps to 580 (strong). That’s a solid, clean wave, but at 7ft, it’s a bit much for beginners and is pushing into more intermediate territory. The afternoon holds similar size but the wind gets stronger. Sunday the 30th is the biggest of this run: 7ft from the west-southwest, strong offshore winds at 25 mph. The energy is 436 (strong). This is a powerful, clean swell, but those strong offshore winds will make it tough to get out the back. It’s still the best on offer, but it’s clean and punchy. For experts, this is your window.

After that, the swell drops fast. Monday the 31st of August down to 2ft, and by Tuesday the 1st of September it’s a glassy 0.7ft – a beautiful morning for a paddle, but no waves. The next highlight is a bit of a wait. On Friday, the 4th of September, we get another pulse: 7ft from the southwest, period of 6 seconds, with a moderate offshore wind. The energy is 374 (strong). It’s a bit of a short-period swell, so it’ll be a bit dumpy and won’t have the same shape as the late August swell. It’s surfable, but not a classic.

The last big shout comes on Monday, the 7th of September. The swell jumps to a solid 10ft from the southwest, with a 9-second period and strong offshore winds at 28 mph. The combined energy hits 1325 (very strong). This is big, powerful, and clean. However, at 10ft, this is strictly for experts only. The strong offshore will make paddling into them a real battle. It’s a spectacular sight, but you’ll need to be on your game.

So, the real standout here is the 29th of August through to the 30th of August. The 7ft to 7ft southwest swell with clean or offshore winds gives the best combination of size and quality. The 7th of September is bigger but only for the brave. The rest of the period is mostly flat, with small, weak, or wind-affected waves. Crowds are possible at Swanage, but with this kind of forecast, the beach should be quiet.

Rusty

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