Swanage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks here. Straight up, I gotta tell ya, it’s a pretty grim run for Swanage. There’s a massive hole at the start – nothing worth paddling out for at all for the first several days. The whole 16-day window is a write-off for decent waves, so don't be holding your breath.

We kick off on Sunday the 23rd of August, and honestly, it’s flat. Tiny little 0.3ft slop from the south, with a light cross-onshore breeze. The water’s sitting at a very unusual 69°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only notable thing. The wave energy is basically zero (6).

We go straight through to Monday the 24th with a strong onshore easterly at 25 mph and a weak, choppy 6ft windswell, but the period is a shocking 6 seconds, so it’s all mess and no power. That kind of size and onshore wind is just a horrible combo. The energy is moderate at best (215), but the quality is terrible. It’s a no-go.

Tuesday the 25th sees a bit of a drop in size, but we’re still dealing with a fresh onshore breeze and that same short-period slop. Wednesday the 26th through to Friday the 28th finally see a bit of a clean-up with some cross-offshore winds, but the swell is tiny – nothing over 4ft, and mostly below 2ft. The energy is weak (as low as 6), and it’s just not enough to get a proper wave.

Now, there’s a slight spike on Saturday the 29th of August. We get a 6ft to 8ft west-southwest swell with a strong offshore wind. Sounds good, right? Well, the period is still a short 6 to 7 seconds, and the wave energy gets up to 530. But the problem is, it’s a beach break with that short period, and at 8ft, it’s really only for the experts. The strong offshore wind will make it clean, but it’ll be a battle to get out and the waves will be a bit of a close-out mess.

Sunday the 30th is a drop-off again, with a tiny 3ft swell and moderate offshore wind. Monday the 31st has a 4ft to 7ft west-southwest swell, but again, it’s short period and the energy (184 to 319) is moderate. It’s clean, but it’s not inspiring.

After that, from Tuesday the 1st of September all the way to Monday the 7th, it’s just tiny. We’re talking 0.7ft to 3ft, with occasional cross-offshore winds but no real swell. The energy is consistently weak (2 to 38). The last few days see some cross-onshore winds and no swell at all.

To be honest, there’s nothing here to get excited about. For a spot that’s already very sheltered and rarely breaks, this is a proper blank run. The set-up looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, given the onshore wind days and the generally weak, short-period swell. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d leave the board in the car.

Rusty.

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