The Breakwater-St Ives Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, and I gotta be straight with you – the next two weeks at The Breakwater-St Ives are looking like a tough slog for the surfer looking for a decent session. We've got a long stretch of poor conditions before things potentially fire up right at the tail end.

Starting now, heading into Friday the 10th and right through the weekend and into the new week, it's gonna be a total write-off. The wind is howling from the east and northeast, slapping the surface into a choppy, cross-shore mess. We're looking at tiny swell, mostly around 2 ft, with super short periods of just 5 to 6 seconds. The combined energy is pathetic – dropping from 119 down to some readings barely breaking 50 (53). It's weak and messy. Don't even bother paddling out. This bleak stretch looks set to run for days.

We get a brief tease on Thursday the 16th and Friday the 17th with some super small, clean stuff on offer as the wind turns off or offshore, but it's only 1 ft. The energy readings are in the low teens (20, 13, 12). That’s barely a ripple.

Then from around Saturday the 18th to Monday the 20th, the swell tries to build back up with some northerly pulses. We see heights climbing to 3.6 ft to 5.9 ft, and energy jumps into the 100s and even hits 351 by Sunday arvo. But the wind is howling onshore or cross-onshore from the north, turning it into a lumpy, blown-out washing machine. Not surfable.

Tuesday the 21st sees a drop back to small stuff again.

Now, Wednesday the 22nd into Friday the 24th is where things get interesting, but with a massive caveat. A solid groundswell is forecast to roll in from the west. The swell height is predicted to climb from 6.2 ft up to a massive 14.8 ft by Friday the 24th. The periods are long – 7, 8, up to 11 and 12 seconds, with very long period energy in the mix. The combined energy readings are huge, jumping from 365 to a staggering 5630. This is big, powerful water.

Here's the thing: The forecast says the wind is favorable, turning cross-off at times, which *could* make it clean. But for the Breakwater, this is way too big. Once it hits over 8 ft, it's strictly for experts. Thursday morning the 23rd is showing 5.2 ft with a gentle cross-onshore, offering 271 of energy, which might be the most level-headed option in the whole run. Still, it’s not straightforward.

The water temps are at 62°, which is pretty average for the time of year.

So, to sum it up for The Breakwater: we’ve got a brutal nine-day stretch of nothing good. Then we might get a short window around Thursday the 23rd with a big, powerful swell that, while clean, is just too large for this spot to be a fun paddle-out. It's a frustrating outlook for the near future.

Read more