The Breakwater-St Ives Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s cut the crap. It’s Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for The Breakwater-St Ives, and I’ve got to be straight with you—it’s looking grim. We’ve got a solid two weeks of nothing on the cards. The models are showing flat, weak surf with poor conditions, and there isn’t a single window where I’d tell you to grab your board.

To be fair, the water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, about 65°, so if you’re just keen for a paddle, it’s not going to be a shock to the system.

The first week is a total write-off. We’re looking at waves around 1 ft to 1 ft, with the combined energy of all swells directed here struggling to get past the 50s—that’s weak, gutless stuff. There’s no power, no push. Mornings are clean but tiny, and afternoons get a bit of a cross-onshore bump that chops it up. The period is short, around 8 to 10 seconds, so nothing’s got any shape to it.

We get a little pulse of energy mid-week on the 12th, with the swell bumping up to 3 ft and the combined energy climbing to 160, but it’s still messy and cross-off winds keep it from being anything more than a ankle-snatcher. The onshore days in between just add to the frustration.

There’s a slight increase in size on the 13th, hitting 4 ft with a period of 11 seconds, and the energy jumps to 319. But the wind is cross-on and choppy, making it a messy, bumpy 4 ft. Not worth the paddle out. From there, it just dribbles away back down to knee-high slop for the rest of the week.

The weekend of the 16th and 17th sees some west-northwest wind, but the swell drops, and the cross-onshore winds don't do us any favors. It’s all noise, no signal.

Now, heading into the second week, things get bigger but not better. We’ve got a strong breeze pushing through, and by the 22nd, the swell finally starts to show some size. We’re talking 7 ft and 8 ft with the combined energy of all swells directed here jumping to a strong 640 and then 1057. But the wind is screaming at 25-28 mph from the west, creating a messy, strong cross-shore chop. It’s a full-on washing machine.

And just when you think it can’t get worse, the 23rd throws a 10 ft swell at us, but it’s coming from the northwest, it’s onshore, and the period is only 8 seconds. That’s a wind-blown, lumpy mess. This is well into expert-only territory due to the size, but with that wind and short period, it’s not even good for them. This setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. If that’s your thing, you might be in luck.

Honestly, with The Breakwater being this inconsistent and the forecasts this poor, this blank run is just the way it goes sometimes. It tends not to stay this bad for long, and you know the forecasts can change, but right now, I’d find something else to do for the next two weeks. Save your energy for when it actually turns on.

That’s all from me. Rusty out.

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