The Maze (Tiree) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer around The Maze.

We’re in for a pretty grim stretch, I’m not gonna lie. The forecast shows a whole lot of windy, messy conditions with decent swell but no quality to go with it. The water temperature is sitting at 58°, which is about average for the time of year, so nothing to complain about there.

The first half of the outlook is a write-off. Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th are just blown out. We’ve got a 8ft NW swell on Wednesday but with a 31 mph cross-on wind, it’s a complete mess. The combined energy is moderate at 595 (Wednesday morning) and 741 (afternoon), but it’s all for nothing. Thursday drops to tiny 3ft and 2ft, still cross-on, and the energy is weak at 61 and 46. Not worth paddling out.

Friday the 7th through to Sunday the 9th stay dodgy. Friday morning sees a 6ft WSW swell, but a 25 mph cross-on wind makes it ugly. The energy picks up to 394. Friday afternoon jumps to 8ft with a 9-second period, energy at 1318, but again cross-on at 28 mph. This is only for the hardiest, and even then, it’s poor. The Maze is a beach and point, and with a 8ft+ swell, it’s getting big for beginners, but the wind is the real killer here. Saturday the 8th is more of the same: 8ft, 25 mph cross-on, energy 1287. Sunday the 9th morning is still rough, but the afternoon brings a shift: a 6ft W swell, period 9 seconds, with a 12 mph cross-off wind from the SSE. The energy is 575, and the conditions are described as clean. This is the first real window. It’s marginal, but if you’re keen, it’s the best of the first week. The crowd is only sometimes, so you might get a few waves to yourself.

Monday the 10th and Tuesday the 11th drop off again. Monday has a 4ft W swell, cross-on wind, energy 229, poor. Tuesday is tiny: 3ft and 2ft with clean conditions but no power, energy at 67 and 41.

Wednesday the 12th gets interesting, but not in a good way. A 2ft to 4ft WSW swell with a 11-second long period, clean cross-off wind, but the energy is weak at 128 and 239. Long period groundswell like this can be shapely at a point break like The Maze, but the size is just too small.

Thursday the 13th through to the end of the second week is a mixed bag of moderate to strong swell but always with some cross-on or cross wind. Friday the 14th has a 6ft to 4ft W swell, energy 641 and 349, but cross-on again. Nothing to get excited about.

If I had to pick one standout, it’s Sunday the 9th afternoon. That 6ft W swell with a 9-second period, clean cross-off wind, and moderate energy (575) is the only time the stars align even a little. The setup is a beach and point, so a W swell at 9 seconds should wrap in with some shape. It’s not epic, but it’s the best we’ve got.

After that, the outlook fades into small, windy, or messy conditions right through to Wednesday the 20th. The 16th to the 19th has tiny waves under 3ft with weak energy, and the 20th sees a 5ft to 6ft WSW swell creep back, but with onshore and cross-on wind, it’s not going to be good.

Honestly, it’s a tough run. The surf quality is poor for most of it, and the only real chance is that Sunday afternoon window. Keep an eye on the wind, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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