Walcott Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. I’ve had a good look at what’s coming for Walcott, and I’m not gonna lie to you – this is a tough one for the next couple of weeks. Grab a coffee, because there’s a long stretch of nothing to get through before we even see a glimmer of hope.

Right off the bat, we’re in for a dry spell. From now through the end of August and into the first week of September, the surf is pretty much a write-off. The wind is mostly cross-on, onshore, or just too strong, and the wave heights are either tiny or messy. You’ll see a few pulses of swell around the 3 ft to 5 ft mark, but it’s all short-period windswell (6 to 8 seconds), and it’s being chopped up by the wind. The combined energy stays weak to moderate at best, hitting a peak of 148 (moderate) on the 25th of August, but that’s fresh wind and lumpy conditions. Not a good look. The water temp is sitting at 66°F with a massive anomaly of 4°F warmer than usual, which is very notable for this time of year.

The big news is there’s a solid gap of no good surf from the start of the period all the way through to the 30th of August. The only day that might offer a paddle is the 31st of August, Monday morning. We’ve got a tiny 3 ft swell from the north, with a period of 8 seconds, and the wind is light offshore from the southwest. The combined energy is still weak at 88, but it’s clean. The forecast says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” so it’s a real knee-high, longboard-only kind of session. If you’re desperate, you’ll get a few closeouts, but don’t expect anything special.

Then we hit the first few days of September. Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd have a bit more size – around 4 ft from the north, with a period of 7 to 8 seconds. The wind is offshore or cross-offshore, which is a big plus. The combined energy climbs into the moderate range (192 to 201). It’s clean, but the swell is still short-period and the waves will be pretty lumpy and unorganized. Walcott is an inconsistent spot, and this is a classic example of the area being a bit of a gamble. It’s not a standout, but it’s the best we’ve got.

The real standout, if you can call it that, is likely the morning of the 2nd of September. The wind is fresh offshore from the WSW at 19 mph, and the swell is 4 ft north at 8 seconds. The energy is 177 (moderate). It’s clean, but the wind is strong, so it’s going to be a battle to get out and the waves will be a bit crumbly. For a beginner, 4 ft is manageable, but that wind will make it tricky. For the experts, it’s just a bit of a messy, average day.

After that, the swell drops off again. From the 4th of September onwards, we’re back to knee-high slop with strong winds. The 4th has strong offshore winds at 28 mph, which is a full-on gale – hard to paddle into, and the waves are tiny (2 ft). That’s more of a windsurfing or kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

So, to sum it up: don’t get your hopes up for the next two weeks. The best you can hope for is a clean, small wave session on the 31st of August morning, or a slightly bigger but wind-affected session on the 2nd of September morning. It’s all a bit of a grind, but that’s Walcott for you in the late winter. Keep checking the forecasts, because things can change, but right now, it’s a long wait.

Rusty.

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