Swanage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Swanage over the next couple of weeks. To be straight with you, it’s a pretty bleak stretch for the most part. We’ve got a long gap of tiny, weak, and mostly unsurfable conditions right through the first week, with the swell energy barely ticking over. The real standout, if you can call it that, is tucked away on Sunday the 9th of August and then Monday the 10th of August.

Swanage is a very sheltered spot, and it rarely breaks, so it’s always a bit of a gamble. For the first week, from Friday the 31st of July right through to Saturday the 8th of August, the swell is mostly flat or under 2 feet. The combined swell energy is very weak, barely getting into double digits (2 to 20), and the winds are a mixed bag, often cross-off or onshore. There’s nothing to get excited about—it’s a long, dry run.

Then, look here, on Sunday the 9th of August morning, we get a bit of a pulse. The swell bumps up to 4 feet from the WSW with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy jumps to 216 (moderate). The wind is a light, cross-off breeze from the NW, which will keep it clean. You could find a few surfable waves, but it’s still very ordinary—just about rideable for a patient soul. The water is much warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 69°F, which is a notable 7°F above average.

Monday the 10th of August morning is the best bet, though it’s not for the faint-hearted. The swell picks up to 7 feet from the SW, with a short period of 7 seconds. That’s a lot of punch for a beach break, and the combined energy is a strong 428. The wind is offshore from the west at 9 mph, which will produce clean faces. However, at 7 feet, this is really only for experienced surfers. It’s going to be a bit of a messy, powerful wall. The afternoon drops to 6 feet and the wind picks up, so hit the morning session.

After that, Tuesday the 11th sees the swell dropping back to 3 feet and the energy fading to 94, and from there it’s back to the small stuff and onshore winds for the rest of the outlook. The second week offers nothing of note—just tiny, weak swells with poor conditions.

So, to sum it up: the standout is the morning of Monday the 10th of August for experienced surfers, with a 7 foot SW swell and clean offshore wind. The backup is the morning of Sunday the 9th of August for a smaller, more manageable wave. Otherwise, it’s a long wait.

Rusty.

Read more