The Maze (Tiree) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next stretch for The Maze. It’s a bit of a flat and grumpy start, so don’t be in a rush to grab your board just yet. We’re looking at a long quiet spell, then a pulse of proper swell that gets messed up by the wind for the most part. There’s one window worth watching, but it’s a while off.

The opening days are a write-off. From Tuesday the 25th through to Sunday the 30th, we’ve got small, weak swell with hardly any energy behind it – the combined energy stays mainly in the low double figures to mid-hundreds (282 down to 29), so we’re looking at knee-to-waist high dribble at best. It’s crossed up with light to moderate breezes, which keeps things a bit lumpy, but the main issue is just no real push to the waves. You’d be fighting for anything rideable. Monday the 31st isn't any better; a small bump in the afternoon (5ft) is messy with a short 6-second period and a questionable tide, so it’s not tempting anyone.

Then, the big change arrives. On Tuesday the 1st of September, the swell jumps up to a solid 10ft with a 10-second period from the west-southwest. The combined energy is huge (2086). This is proper groundswell power. However, the wind is a fresh south-southeast cross-off in the morning, which could hold some shape, but rain is moving in and the afternoon turns onshore and sloppy. The waves will be powerful and well overhead, so this is expert territory, and not for the faint-hearted. It looks like a washing machine for most of it.

From the 2nd through to the 5th of September, we’ve got a couple of days of solid to heavy swell, but the wind is the story. It’s mostly cross-onshore to onshore, and it gets properly strong. We’re looking at 8ft to 10ft of lumpy, blown-out mess. There’s a moment on Wednesday the 2nd afternoon with a strong south-southeast cross-off wind and clean conditions, but that’s with a light rain shower and still a big, powerful 8ft swell. It’s not going to be user-friendly.

The first truly clean and promising window is later on. Monday the 7th of September morning sees 7ft of west swell with a short 7-second period, but the wind is a fresh northerly cross-shore, making it lumpy. Later that afternoon, the swell bumps to 8ft with a much better 10-second period from the west, and the energy jumps right up (2237). The wind is still a fresh cross-shore, so it won’t be glassy, but this is the most powerful, well-ordered swell of the week. Still, it’s a lot of water for most people. Then, a couple of clean days follow on the 8th and 9th of September with cross-off winds, but the swell drops back down to 4ft to 5ft, so it’s less exciting but more manageable.

So, when you look at the entire 16 days, the standouts are scarce. The morning of Tuesday the 1st has the size but is compromised by onshore winds in the afternoon. The real pick of the lot is the afternoon of Monday the 7th of September – it’s got the biggest, longest-period swell (8ft, 10s) with high energy (2237) and a cross-shore wind, but it will be lumpy and powerful. For experienced surfers only. After that, the 8th and 9th offer cleaner surfaces but the energy drops off, so it’s back to smaller, fun-size waves.

Water temps are about normal for the time of year, sitting around 59°F, nothing to write home about.

There are long gaps with no real recommendations here. The first nine days are basically a full blank. This spot is fairly consistent though, and with that kind of swell showing up in the first week of September, it tends not to stay flat for long. But for now, patience is the play. The biggest cleanup day is that 7th.

Rusty out.

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