The Maze (Tiree) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s cooking for The Maze up on Tiree.

Right, I’ll be straight with you. Looking at the whole 16-day window, it’s a tough one. The forecast is pretty much a write-off for quality paddle surfing. The guiding principle here is that the wind is almost always on it or cross to it, and the swell just doesn’t have the clean window it needs. There’s a big gap of poor surf conditions right through the end of July and into August. We’re looking at a solid week or more with no real reason to get wet. The consistency is fairly consistent here, but with that onshore wind, it’s going to be messy.

The first real surf window is a bust. On Thursday, July 23rd, we’ve got weak 2ft swell from the WNW with a short period of 7 seconds, and the combined energy is a paltry 54. The wind is on it, and the water temp is about 58°, which is pretty normal for the time of year. It’s just poor.

We get a bump in size on Friday, July 24th, with the swell hitting 6ft from the W, but with a period of 9 seconds and a fresh breeze blowing on it, it’s just a lumpy mess. The energy is moderate at 487, but it’s no good for us.

The biggest swell of the period shows up on Saturday, July 25th. We’re looking at 8ft from the WNW with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy hits 1365, so there’s proper power there. But the wind is a strong cross-onshore breeze, making it pure chaos. 8ft is expert territory at the best of times, and with wind like that, it’s a kite surfer’s dream, not a paddle surfer’s.

Sunday, July 26th, is marginal. The swell drops to 6ft from the WNW, but the wind is still cross-onshore. The energy is still moderate at 972, but the conditions are just too choppy to be fun.

The rest of the forecast is a grim repeat. Onshore winds, cross-shore winds, and lumpy, choppy conditions. We see a few moments of "clean" conditions on Wednesday, July 29th, and into August, but the swell is tiny—2ft to 2ft. The wind is screaming, with a near gale on August 4th and 5th, blowing cross-off, but the swell is only 1.0ft to 2ft. There’s just no energy to work with. The water stays average for the time of year.

Honestly, there’s no standout day here. The best option is probably the small window of cleaner conditions on Wednesday, July 29th, with 4ft swell from the WSW, but the wind is cross-off and the energy is weak. It’s a long shot. The bigger swells later in the first week are all blown out. For the second week, it’s a complete dry spell with tiny, weak swell and poor wind.

I’m sorry, lads, but it’s a case of the forecast being what it is. Not much to get excited about. Keep an eye on it, but for now, I’d be taking a break.

Rusty.

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