The Maze (Tiree) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the next couple of weeks have in store for us on Tiree. It's a bit of a mixed bag, so we'll take it day by day.

The overall pattern here is a pretty extended run of poor conditions with strong, messy winds killing any chance of fun waves for the first ten days. The swell is there at times, even some big stuff, but the wind is just a nightmare. We've got a bit of a gap from now until we see something worthwhile.

Alright, starting off on Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st of August, it's a no-go. Tiny swell, rain, and onshore or cross-off winds. We kick off September the 1st with some bigger swell, pushing 8 ft from the WSW, but it's all onshore and lumpy. Then Wednesday and Thursday get blown to bits with gale-force winds and huge messy swell. This run of poor junk lasts right through to the 7th of September. Honestly, if you're not trying to hang on, this setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, with strong onshore winds and big, bumpy seas.

Now, we finally see a glimmer of hope on the morning of Tuesday the 8th of September. The wind swings offshore from the East at 30 km/h, giving us clean conditions at The Maze. The swell is a combined energy of 129 (weak), coming from the NNW at a tiny 4 ft and a short period of 5 seconds. It's not going to be epic, but it's the first clean surf in over a week. That clean, offshore window is short-lived though.

We then slip back into poor, blown-out conditions up to and including Thursday the 10th of September, with strong to near-gale winds and lumpy seas.

The real standout starts to brew late in the second week. On Friday the 11th of September, a serious groundswell arrives. We're looking at a solid, consistent 13 ft swell, from a long-period 11 seconds WNW. The combined energy is strong, pushing 4000. The wind is cross-shore and fresh, so it's not perfect, but the power is there for the experienced. The conditions slowly improve.

Saturday the 12th sees the swell drop a touch but still solid at 13 ft from the WNW, with the wind turning cross-offshore at 12-16 mph. The wave energy is still very strong (4068). This is looking excellent for the experienced, but it's big, so not one for the beginners.

The true highlight of this outlook is Sunday the 13th of September (Tiree). This is the one to mark in the calendar. We’ve got clear skies, a slight air moving the flags, and very light cross-offshore wind from the NE at just 3 mph. The conditions will be glassy and clean. The swell is a solid 8 ft from the WNW, with a combined wave energy of 1035 (strong). The period is a punchy 9 seconds. It's described as excellent conditions for experienced surfers, and I can see why. This is your best bet for a proper session, but with an 8 ft swell, it's really for the experienced crew. It's a long way off, so keep an eye on the charts, but this one has promise.

After that, Monday the 14th swings back to onshore winds, so the window closes. A tough couple of weeks, but there's a reason we call it the Wild West up here. Stay hopeful, the forecasts can always change.

Rusty.

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