Towan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. Towan is the only spot in the frame for this 16-day run, and honestly, it’s a tough stretch. The water’s sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so you might not need the thickest wetsuit, but that’s where the good news ends.

We kick off Monday afternoon, August 24th, with a tiny 0.7ft WSW swell and a cross-on ESE breeze at 19 mph. It’s fresh and lumpy, and the combined energy is a weak 25. Not much to get excited about. Tuesday, the 25th, is more of the same: small 2ft to 2ft waves with a moderate cross-on wind, energy bumping up to 77 and 88 but still poor. The water temp anomaly? Not noted for those days but it's still that slightly warmer water.

Wednesday morning, the 26th, brings a shift. The wind goes light and cross-off from the SSE at 3 mph, cleaning things right up, but the swell is still only 2ft with a short 8-second period, and energy is a weak 71. It’s clean but tiny. That afternoon, the wind goes cross-shore, and the waves drop to 2ft.

Thursday, the 27th, sees a proper offshore wind from the SW at 9 mph in the morning, but the swell is just 1ft with a 7-second period. Energy is a paltry 32. The afternoon picks up slightly with a 3ft SW swell, clean cross-off breeze, and energy jumps to 103 (moderate). Still, the wave comment calls it poor.

Friday, the 28th, we finally get some size. Morning brings 5ft from the west, clean cross-off wind, and energy of 205 (moderate). The afternoon gets bigger: 8ft west swell, but the wind picks up to 16 mph cross-off, and energy hits 692. Problem is, the wave comment calls it “surfable but very ordinary” and “marginal.” The short period (7-8 seconds) means the waves are weak and crumbly. This is likely the best of a weak week, but it’s not a standout.

The rest of the first week is a grind. Saturday, the 29th, has a morning offshore wind but the swell drops to 3ft, and energy is low. Sunday, the 30th, brings fresh offshore winds but the swell stays around 3ft. The whole first week has a gap of only okay surf after Friday afternoon.

The second week begins with a series of poor to marginal days. The 31st through the 2nd see built-up energy but strong winds and bad conditions. The standout here is actually the far end of the run. Tuesday, September 8th, is the one to circle. The morning brings a 10ft west swell with a 13-second period – that’s a proper groundswell. The wind is light and cross-off from the WSW at 9 mph, and the energy is a hefty 3214. The afternoon is even better: 8ft west swell, a gentle offshore from the SW, and a clean surface. The wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions” with a score of 3 (the best in the whole run). This is the standout, but it’s over a week away, so keep an eye on the forecasts.

Now, a word of caution: Towan is a sheltered beach/harbour spot, and it’s fairly consistent. The optimum swell direction is from the west, and the best swells are from that direction. But the really big stuff – like the 15ft and 23ft on the 7th with massive energy – is too strong for the average surfer, and the wind is messy. The 23ft swell on the 7th afternoon with a 17-second period is for experts only, and even then, the cross-shore wind makes it a mess.

For the rest of the week, don’t bother. The 3rd and 4th have marginal surf with cross-shore winds. The 5th has a 8ft to 10ft swell with a long period, but it’s light cross-shore – still a bit lumpy. The combined energy on the 5th afternoon is 1796, strong, but the conditions aren’t clean.

So, bottom line: the first week has a few small windows of clean but tiny surf, nothing special. The second week builds to a promising peak on Tuesday, September 8th, with proper groundswell and clean conditions. It’s a long way out, so don’t lock in plans yet, but that’s the one to watch.

Rusty

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