The Breakwater-St Ives Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for The Breakwater-St Ives.

Well, I gotta be straight with you – the next few weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. We've got a long, dry spell to start with. From Saturday the 8th right through to the end of the following week, it's a whole lot of nothing. The swell is tiny, mostly under 2 ft, and when it does bump up a touch, the wind is either onshore or cross-off in the wrong way. The combined wave energy is weak, sitting in the double digits (20-40) for most of that first week, which is just a whisper. It's a real flat spell.

The first time we see any real energy is on Wednesday the 12th, with a bit of a pulse. The swell bumps up to 3 ft from the west, with a period of 10 seconds, and the combined energy hits 132. It's clean, but the wave comment says "poor surf conditions" – so it's probably not doing much. This pattern of small, poor-quality surf continues through the week.

Now, there is a glimmer of something bigger around the 17th and 18th. On Monday the 17th, we see a 5 ft to 5 ft west swell, with combined energy jumping to 363. But the wind is a moderate to fresh cross-onshore, making it choppy and lumpy. Not great for a point break that needs clean conditions.

The one standout, and it's a big "if", is on Tuesday the 18th. The swell is pushing 8 ft from the WNW with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is massive, hitting 1035. That's a lot of water moving. But the wind is a gentle cross-onshore, and the surf is called "marginal." That's a lot of power for a point break, and with that period, it might be closing out. This is definitely for experienced surfers only, and it’s a long way off, so treat it as a promising but uncertain prospect.

The end of the run looks a little more promising. On Friday the 21st, we get a 3 ft to 5 ft west swell with a short period of 5-6 seconds, but the wind is offshore from the SSE and the surf is clean. The combined energy on Friday afternoon is 181, which is modest. It’s not a classic, but after a long flat spell, "moderate offshore and clean" sounds like a winner.

So, to be honest, there's no real "best" option here. If you're desperate, the glassy conditions on Thursday the 20th afternoon with a 2 ft west swell might be worth a paddle for the cleanest of small waves. The bigger stuff on the 18th is the only one with real size, but the wind and the marginal call make it a gamble. The offshore on Friday the 21st looks like the most reliable chance for a clean, if small, session.

Stay patient, folks. The forecast can always change.

Rusty.

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