The Maze (Tiree) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into this one. It’s a tricky stretch ahead here, so I’ll walk you through what’s cooking and what’s not.

First up, we’ve got The Maze (Tiree) on the table. It’s a beach and point setup, exposed to the west, and the guidance reckons it's fairly consistent. That’s good, but the forecast is a bit of a mixed bag right off the bat. The water’s sitting at 58°, which is about a degree and a half warmer than average for this time of year, so it’s a touch mild but nothing too wild.

The first few days are pretty grim. From Sunday the 13th right through the middle of the week, we’ve got onshore and cross-shore winds, lumpy conditions, and not much quality. Swell heights bounce between 3ft and 7ft, but with the wind making a mess of things, you’re better off staying home. The combined swell energy is moderate at best early on, hitting 389 on Sunday, but it’s just not clean.

Wednesday morning the 16th shows a little hope with a 7ft W swell and 11-second period, and the energy jumps to 1008 (moderate to strong), but the wind’s cross-onshore and it’s only rated marginal. Not the one.

Then things get big, but not good. Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th see serious west-northwest swell rolling in—10ft to 15ft, periods up to 13 seconds. The energy numbers are huge, 1695 up to 7113, but it’s all onshore wind, gusting 28 to 31 mph. That’s heavy, messy, and only for the brave or the foolish. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The weekend of the 19th and 20th stays big with 8ft to 15ft swell, but again, strong onshore winds. Not the kind of session you’d write home about.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Monday the 21st of September is the standout. We’ve got an 8ft WNW swell at 12 seconds in the morning, and the wind swings southeast at 22 mph, giving us cross-offshore and clean conditions. The afternoon cleans up even more with offshore ESE wind. The combined energy is 1868 and 1190 respectively, so there’s plenty of push. The Maze can handle a long-period swell like that, being a point and reef setup—it should line up nicely. This is the one to aim for if you can get out there.

The rest of that week fades. Tuesday the 22nd is back to onshore wind and lumpy surf. Wednesday the 23rd has size but lumpy cross-shore winds. Thursday the 24th drops to 6ft NW swell with a clean cross-offshore breeze and gentle winds, but it’s only marginal. Friday the 25th is small, under 3ft, and not worth the effort.

The final weekend, Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th, offers a bit of hope. Saturday afternoon sees 4ft W swell at 11 seconds, with light SE winds—almost glassy. That’s clean and could be fun on a longboard. Combined energy is 433, so nothing huge, but it’s workable. Sunday morning the 27th is similar with 3ft WSW swell and light NNE winds. Nice and clean again. These are the smaller, more relaxed sessions to close out the period.

So, to wrap it up: the best bet by far is Monday the 21st of September. Get on it. After that, the weekend of the 26th-27th offers some cleaner, smaller waves for a more mellow paddle.

Rusty

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