The Breakwater-St Ives Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for The Breakwater-St Ives over the next couple weeks. Honestly, it’s a bit of a tough stretch. This is an inconsistent spot at the best of times, so we’re looking at a long wait for anything worth paddling out for.

The first real chance we get is on the morning of Sunday, the 30th of August, and even then it’s marginal. You’ve got a 6ft swell from the WSW with a period of 8 seconds, but the offshore wind from the SSW is fresh, so it’ll be clean. The water temp is sitting at 63°, which is pretty much spot on for this time of year, nothing unusual there. The combined swell energy is moderate at 402 (moderate wave energy). It’s not a standout, just a glimmer of hope after a dry spell.

Then things get a bit more interesting, but not in a good way for us paddle surfers. Through the end of August and into the first week of September, we see solid swell building – 8ft, 8ft, even up to 8ft from the W and WNW, with combined energy numbers like 1098 and 1137 (strong to very strong wave energy). But here’s the kicker: it’s mostly cross-shore or even cross-onshore winds, making it lumpy and choppy. That setup honestly looks more fun for the kite crew than anyone on a surfboard.

A couple of sessions in early September clean up, like the morning of the 4th with a 5ft W swell and a fresh offshore breeze from the SW, but it’s still just listed as poor surf conditions. On the 5th of September you get a marginal call with 6ft from the W, moderate offshore wind, and clean conditions, but again, nothing to get amped about.

Now, for the real tease. Look at Monday the 8th of September. That morning there’s a 13ft swell from the W with a 16-second period and an 8522 combined energy (very strong wave energy). That is a big, powerful, long-period groundswell. The wind is fresh offshore from the S. It sounds perfect, but the catch is it's predicted to be too big for this break – it’s an expert-only situation, and even then, a spot like The Breakwater might just get completely shut down by that size. The afternoon is a similar story, 12ft from the W with a 15-second period and 4780 energy.

So, the honest truth? There’s no real standout, rideable session in this window for the average surfer. Sunday the 30th is your best bet if you’re desperate, but keep expectations low. That big swell on the 8th is a promise of something huge, but likely unsurfable here. Sometimes it’s just like that.

Stay patient.

Rusty.

Read more