The Maze (Tiree) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at the next 16 days for The Maze (Tiree). Straight up, I’ve got to be honest with you – it’s a grim run. There’s a real lack of quality on offer, and for long stretches there’s nothing worth paddling out for. The first proper chance doesn’t come until July 10th, so you’re sitting through a few days of nothing.

The main issue is the wind. For the first few days, we’ve got moderate cross and cross-onshore breezes around 12 mph, just making a mess of the 4 ft to 5 ft west swell. The wave energy is moderate (306-311), but the conditions are just poor, with a cross-chop that’ll have you swearing at your board.

Now, Friday morning the 10th is the standout. The wind swings to a light NNE cross-offshore at 9 mph, and that west-northwest swell drops to 3 ft. It’s a longer period groundswell at 11 seconds, which means better shaped waves and more energy in the water. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so nothing to write home about there. The energy is still moderate (283), but the forecast says it’s clean. This is the best on offer, no question. It’s a small window, though, as the afternoon goes cross-shore and the quality drops.

After that, we get a string of tiny days. The swell drops to 2 ft or less, and the energy is weak (16-45). Monday the 13th morning is glassy, but with only 1 ft on offer, it’s barely a ripple. There’s a slight uptick on the 14th and 15th with some glassy periods and a clean 2 ft west swell, with energy around 116-127, but it’s only described as surfable but very ordinary. Not worth getting excited about.

Then it gets worse. From the 17th through to the 23rd, it’s a mix of small, messy swell and strong onshore winds. On July 21st, the swell pumps up to 7 ft from the west with a strong energy reading (491-642), but it’s blown out by 22 mph cross-shore winds. For a beach and point setup like The Maze, that’s a write-off for paddle surfing – one to leave for the kite crew.

So, to sum it up: Friday morning the 10th is your only real shot at a clean, surfable wave. The rest of the 16 days is a frustrating mix of flat spells and blown-out lumps. Don’t hold your breath, but forecasts can change.

Rusty

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