The Maze (Tiree) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a good look at what the next couple of weeks are shaping up like for The Maze (Tiree).

Alright, straight up, the first week is a bit of a write-off for a decent paddle. The water’s sitting at 58°, which is pretty standard for this time of year. The issue is the wind. It’s relentless. We’ve got a few days of clean-ish conditions right at the end, but that’s a long way off. For the next stretch, you’re looking at a lot of cross-onshore and onshore slop. The energy is there, it builds into a solid event, but it’s just not going to be any good.

We kick off on the 22nd of July with a weak 3ft NW swell, only a 7-second period, and that cross-on wind. Surfable? No. The combined energy a paltry (99) tells you everything. That’s a non-starter. The 24th and 25th of July see the swell really kick in, 6ft on the 24th building to 8ft on the 25th, but it’s all from the W/NW. The energy reading jumps massively, hitting (1201) on the Saturday morning, but it’s blowing a fresh cross-onshore gale. It’ll be a lumpy, messy mess, not for the faint-hearted, and definitely only for the experts if you even try it. That 8ft with that wind is not a beginner’s wave.

Things get a bit more interesting towards the end of the month. The 30th of July offers a rare moment of calm. We’ve got a tiny 3ft WNW swell with a glassy morning. The combined energy is weak (113), but at least it’s clean. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. Then, the 31st of July brings our first real highlight. A solid 8ft SW swell with a 9-second period, and crucially, a cross-offshore wind from the SSE. The energy is strong at (1179), and it’s described as “clean”. That afternoon session on the 31st is the best bet in the whole run, but it’s still a lot of water moving around for a big, raw SW groundswell. It’s a standout for the period, no doubt, but keep in mind it’s a powerful one.

After that, we drop back into slop. The 1st of August sees the swell fade and the cross-on wind come straight back. There’s a tiny window on the 3rd of August with a clean 5ft WNW swell from the NNE, but the period is a short 6 seconds, so it’ll be mushy and weak. Then the big swell returns on the 4th of August at 8ft, but it’s cross-on again. Blown out.

The very last day, the 6th of August, has a tiny 2ft W swell with a nice 10-second period and a light offshore breeze from the E. It’s clean, but the energy is only (83), and it’s just not enough power to ride.

So, to be honest, for the next 16 days, there’s only one true stand-out: the 31st of July. That afternoon clean-up with the 8ft SSW groundswell is your best chance. It's a proper lump of a swell, so you’ll want to be on your A-game. The rest of the period is largely a battle with the wind. It’s a tough run for The Maze.

Rusty.

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