The Maze (Tiree) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what The Maze has on offer over the next couple of weeks. It's a bit of a mixed bag to be honest, so let's just get into it and see where we stand.

The early part of the week is looking pretty grim. We're coming off a poor run over the weekend and into Monday the 10th. The swell is small and weak, and the wind is just all over the shop. There’s a tiny window on Monday afternoon with a glassy sea state, but the waves are only around 3ft from the west with a short period. It’s surfable, but it’s really just ankle-biters. It's a struggle to even call it a surf. That clean 6 mph NNE breeze is a tease, but there just isn't any push.

Tuesday and Wednesday are a complete write-off. The wind is howling from the southeast, up to 22 mph, and although it’s cross-offshore, the swell is just way too small. We’re looking at 2ft to 5ft from the WSW with a moderate combined wave energy (307-312). The waves are there but they’ll be a mess with that wind. Not worth the paddle out.

We get a slight bump for Thursday the 13th, but it's still not great. The swell is a bit more solid at 5ft from the WSW with the energy building a touch (385). The issue is it's mostly cross-shore winds and there's some rain around. It might be rideable, but it's going to be lumpy and far from clean. It's a marginal call at best.

The following weekend and into the next week really lets us down. The wind settles a bit but the swell just drops right off again. There's a pulse for the 17th and 18th, where we see the swell jump to 6ft from the west, but the wind is going to be a problem. The cross-onshore winds will make it choppy and messy, and not much fun for anyone. The energy levels do get up there (448), but it's all for nothing with that wind.

Now, hold on, because things get interesting around the 20th. The swell really starts to fill in, kicking to 7ft from the west with a longer period of 9-10 seconds. The energy readings are getting up there (853-889), signalling some proper power. However, the wind is still cross-shore which isn't ideal, and it could be lumpy. This is a day for the more experienced crew, as the size will be pushing it for beginners. If you're a competent surfer, this could be your best window for some size and power, but you'll have to work for it with that cross-chop.

After that, we see a clean-up on the 21st. The wind swings around to the SSE, giving us a clean cross-off breeze. It's a drop in size to 5ft from the WNW, but the quality will be much better. The energy is moderate (296), but the clean conditions will make those waves much more user-friendly. This looks like a solid option, especially if the swell holds.

The last few days of the window are back to smaller, weaker conditions. The 24th shows a bit of a pulse up to 7ft from the WSW, but with a short period and light cross-onshore winds, it’s likely to be a messy and disorganised wave.

So, if you're looking for the best of it, your two standout windows are the 20th and the 21st of August. The 20th offers the biggest swell, but you'll be dealing with some cross-shore chop. The 21st looks like the pick of the bunch with cleaner conditions and a smaller, more manageable west-northwest swell. Everything else is pretty much a skunk.

That's the long and short of it. It's not a classic forecast, but there are a few windows if you're keen.

Rusty.

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