The Breakwater-St Ives Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it.

We’re looking at a pretty bleak run here, folks. The swell’s around, but the wind's got it all messed up for ages. For The Breakwater-St Ives, it’s a tough watch. First off, the water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year.

Right from the get-go, Sunday the 30th of August, we’re dealing with a solid 6ft groundswell from the WSW, but that 22 mph cross-off wind just isn’t doing it any favours. Morning’s got clean lines but the power is messy; the afternoon bumps up to 8ft, but it’s a marginal call with a risk of thunderstorms. The energy is moderate (477–696).

Monday the 31st is a write-off. A big 10ft W swell hits, period around 10 seconds, but it’s a cross-on shambles with 19 mph winds. That’s a lot of energy (1448) being blown to bits. No good.

We get a tiny window Tuesday the 1st of September morning. Swell drops to 4ft from the W, but the wind goes light and cross-off. The energy is weak (203). It’s surfable, but ordinary. A ripper for a log if you’re desperate and patient, but nothing to write home about.

Then we’re back into a groove of poor surf right through to Saturday the 5th. Westerly swells between 6ft and 10ft, but the wind is a constant problem – cross-off, cross-on, or cross-shore chopping everything up. The energy fluctuates from moderate to strong (335 up to 1501), but with no quality control, it’s just a messy ocean.

Now, a glimmer. Sunday the 6th of September morning is the first standout in this whole forecast. We get a clean 5ft W groundswell with a 9-second period, and the wind swings offshore from the SSW at 16 mph. That’s the kind of cross-off we want – moderate offshore and clean lines. The energy is moderate (367). It breaks a bit straight on beach breaks with that period, but at a point like this, it’ll hold shape. This is your best morning of the week. The afternoon holds similar, just a little smaller.

Monday the 7th stays in the game with a 6ft WSW swell, but conditions are only marginal. The wind stays cross-off, but the quality drops a notch. Tuesday the 8th kicks up to a solid 10ft W swell with strong energy (1955) and fresh offshore wind in the morning – that’s expert territory, well overhead, but if you’ve got the skills and the board, it’s a proper session. Watch the afternoon, though – the wind swings cross and the chop comes back.

The rest of the second week is largely a mess. Wednesday the 9th has rain and strong winds. Thursday and Friday are just choppy, windy, and poor. The energy drops right off on Thursday morning (61 – weak).

Hold the phone for Saturday the 12th of September. That morning, we have a 8ft W swell with a solid 10-second period and light cross-off winds from the SSE. The energy is moderate-to-strong (985). The forecast says it’s very good, and I can see why – clean lines, decent power. The afternoon gets a bit smaller but stays offshore and clean.

And then, the real wildcard. Sunday the 13th of September morning. The swell pumps up to a massive 12ft from the W, with a 10-second period and energy through the roof (4132). The wind is light and cross, so the surface is clean. But – and this is a big but – the forecast says it's simply too big for this break. It’ll be a washing machine, even for the most experienced. This is a hard pass for paddle surfing; at this size, with the energy and direction, it’s looking more like a tow-in or kite session, if it’s even doable. The afternoon drops to 8ft but the wind picks up and messes it.

So, the true standouts in this bleak outlook: Sunday the 6th of September morning is your clean, solid, fun session for a competent surfer. And for the big-wave crew, Tuesday the 8th of September morning with that offshore 10ft is expert-only, but a proper mission.

For the rest, there are long gaps of nothing, especially between Tuesday the 1st and Sunday the 6th. Keep your eye on the charts, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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