The Breakwater-St Ives Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get to it. The situation here’s pretty clear – The Breakwater-St Ives is the only break the data gives us, and it’s a tough stretch. The swell’s coming from directions that don’t really suit it, and the wind is almost always on it or cross-on. There’s a long gap where you’re just not going to want to paddle out. Let’s break it down.

The Breakwater-St Ives is a point break, and it’s inconsistent. It’s a fairly exposed spot, and it needs the swell from the NW to really work. The water is sitting at 64°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year – about 2°F above average, so it’s not a surprise.

From Monday the 20th of July right through to the end of the month, it’s a write-off. The swell is tiny, the wind is howling onshore or cross-on, and the energy is weak. The combined wave energy stays in the low double digits (35 to 95) for most of that first week – that’s barely enough to move a sea lion. The swell direction is mostly N or NNE, which is not the optimum NW for this spot. The heights are between 0.3ft and 4ft, but with short periods of 5 to 6 seconds, it’s just messy, wind-affected slop. The wind is a constant onshore (N, NNE, NNW) at 12 to 19 mph, so it’s going to be a choppy, blown-out mess. Not worth a second look.

There’s a bit of a pulse of energy on Sunday the 26th of July. The swell bumps up to 6ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon, both from the NW, which is the right direction. The combined energy jumps to 238 and 272 – that’s moderate wave energy – but the wind is still onshore (NNW at 12 mph) and then cross-on (NNW at 19 mph). The period is only 6 seconds, so it’s a short-period, wind-driven swell. The setup is clean enough for a kite surfer maybe, but for paddle surfing, it’s going to be bumpy and hard to enjoy. The size is over 5ft, so it’s not for beginners, and with that wind, it’s a tough go for anyone.

After that, it drops back into the doldrums. The rest of the week and into the start of August, the swell stays under 3ft, the energy is back in the 30s and 40s, and the wind stays onshore or cross-on. The period does get longer on the 1st of August – 11 seconds in the morning from the WNW – but the swell height is only 1ft. That’s a long-period groundswell hitting a point break, which could be pretty, but with almost no size, it’s not going to break properly. The wind is cross-on from the NW at 6 mph, so it’s light, but the swell is just too small.

The best on offer – and I’m stretching here – is actually the early morning of Sunday, the 26th of July. The 6ft of NW swell is the biggest and most aligned we get. The wind is NNW at 12 mph, which is onshore, so it’s not perfect, but it’s the only time the energy is moderate and the direction is right. It’s a standout in a very poor period. The rest of the 16-day window is a long blank run. If you’re a beginner, don’t even bother. For experts, the 26th might give you a few grunty, bumpy walls, but you’ll be fighting the wind.

Rusty.

Read more