The Maze (Tiree) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The Maze has some swell but it’s a rough ride for the next couple of weeks. The wind is just not playing ball for the most part, so we’re looking at a lot of onshore chop and messy conditions. The first real glimmer of something surfable doesn’t show up until the afternoon of Sunday, August 2nd, so we’ve got a quiet start.

The Situation

Overall, the pattern is dominated by westerly swells, but the wind is almost always from the wrong direction or too strong. The water temp is sitting at 58°F, which is pretty much normal for this time of year, so no wetsuit drama there.

The Breakdown

Nothing doing on Saturday, August 1st. The swell is there, around 5ft from the west, but it’s hammered by a strong 19 mph onshore wind. The combined energy is only moderate (156), and the period is a short 6 seconds, making it a close-out mess. Sunday the 2nd sees a drop in swell, but the wind finally shuts off. The afternoon goes glassy, with clean 3ft swell from the west-northwest, but the energy is weak (95). The wave comment says "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions," so it’s a small, clean option for the loggers, but don’t expect anything epic.

Monday the 3rd picks up a bit of cross-offshore wind from the east-northeast, making the 2ft swell clean but weak. The energy is just 68, so it’s a shortboard grovel.

Then we hit a massive dry spell. From Tuesday, August 4th through to Saturday, August 9th, it’s all poor surf conditions. The wind is either onshore, cross-onshore, or just too strong. There’s a spike on the 6th with 6ft from the northwest, but the wind is 19 mph cross-onshore, making it a total washing machine. The energy climbs to 265 (moderate), but it’s not worth a paddle.

The Standout

The real standout, and the only one worth circling on your calendar, is the afternoon of Sunday, August 16th. This is the best on offer, but it’s a long way off. The guidance for The Maze (Tiree) shows a west swell, and the forecast has a 7ft west swell running with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 609 (strong). The kicker is the wind: only 3 mph from the west-southwest, making it a light cross-onshore with just small wind ripples. The wave comment says "marginal surf forecast," but given the size and the light wind, this is the one time in the whole window where the size and conditions align. The period is 9 seconds, so it’s a short-period wind swell, but 7ft at The Maze, which is a beach and point setup, should offer some fun, punchy walls. Just be aware that crowds are possible here, and with this being the best in two weeks, it might get a bit of company.

Before that, the morning of Wednesday, August 12th is worth a mention. It’s got a 4ft west-southwest swell with a 10-second period, clean cross-offshore wind from the south-southeast, and a combined energy of 320 (moderate). The wave comment is "marginal," but it’s a cleaner option than most.

Everything else is a write-off. The 14th and 15th have size (5ft to 7ft), but the wind is cross or cross-onshore, and the wave comments are all "poor." The 16th afternoon is the only real beacon in the storm.

Stay patient, lads. The second week looks more promising on the charts, but the wind is a cruel mistress. Rusty out.

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