The Maze (Tiree) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let's have a look at what’s on the cards for The Maze (Tiree) over the next couple of weeks. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – this stretch of forecast is a real mixed bag, and honestly, there's a whole lot of nothing before we get to anything decent. There's a long, frustrating gap of poor conditions at the start.

The water is sitting at about 59°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so that’s one small win.

We kick off on Saturday the 29th of August, but don’t get your hopes up. We're looking at tiny, weak waves around 1ft from the NW with a period of just 7 seconds. The wind is a cross-off from the NE, so the surface might be clean, but the energy is pathetic (8). It’s poor surf. That theme continues through Sunday and into Monday – a bit more size on Monday morning with a 7ft W swell, but the wind swings hard cross-on from the NW at 22 mph, making it a lumpy, choppy mess. The energy picks up to 597, but it's not rideable.

Then things get properly rowdy from Tuesday the 1st of September right through to Friday the 4th. We’ve got a big, powerful pulse of swell, hitting 15ft on Thursday and Friday with a very long period of 12-13 seconds (energy readings hitting 6157). But the wind is blowing a gale – onshore and strong. This is expert-only territory, if anyone’s silly enough to go out. For the average punter, the setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

That big energy drops away over the weekend of the 5th and 6th, but the wind stays onshore and messy, so it’s still a write-off. The first half of the following week is more of the same – moderate swells in the 6ft to 10ft range, but the wind is cross-on or on, keeping the surface lumpy and choppy.

Finally, we get a glimmer of hope. On Thursday the 10th of September, we’ve got a clean-looking morning. The wind is a light cross-off from the ESE at 9 mph, and there’s a 8ft swell from the SW with a 9-second period. The combined energy is strong at 898. This is the standout of the whole outlook – the conditions are clean, and the waves will have some punch. It’s the one to circle on the calendar. The afternoon gets windier, so get out early.

Friday the 11th of September sees another massive pulse, a 13ft W swell with a very long 11-second period (3975 energy), but the wind is cross and then cross-on, making it a lumpy, dangerous beast. The following weekend looks poor again.

So, to sum it up: the first week and a half is a bust. Your one true shot at something good is the morning of Thursday the 10th. It’s a long way off, so keep an eye on it, but that’s the best we’ve got.

Rusty.

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