West Dale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. To be straight with you, the next couple of weeks are going to test your patience. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing but close-outs and knee-high slop, with only a couple of windows that might actually get you out of bed.

For the first week and a half, it’s pretty grim. From Sunday the 9th right through to the morning of Saturday the 23rd, we’re looking at a run of tiny, weak swells. The energy is just pathetic, with the combined swell energy mostly sitting below 100, often in the single digits. You’ll see a few pulses, like Wednesday the 13th where we get a bit of a lift to 136, but it’s still only 3ft and the wind is all over the shop. It’s clean-ish at times, but there’s just no push in the water. The period is all over the place too, short and crumbly, nothing that’s going to make you ditch work for.

The one thing that might get you out is the glassy conditions on Tuesday the 18th, but the swell is a pathetic 0.3ft. It’s barely a ripple. You’re better off staying home and checking the surf cams.

Now, mark your calendar for the final stretch. The real story here is the last few days. The morning of Sunday the 23rd is the first sign of life, with a 3ft swell and a 5-second period, and the energy jumps to 89. It’s surfable, but pretty ordinary. The wind is light and offshore from the north, cleaning it up, but it’s still just a hint of what’s coming.

The standout, the one that’s worth the wait, is Monday morning the 24th. This is the entire window. We’re looking at a 5ft swell from the west-southwest, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 230, which is the first time we’ve seen any real power in this whole forecast. And the wind? It’s glassy. Totally dead. The surface is going to be like a sheet of glass. It’s not huge, but it’s clean and it has some push. For a spot like West Dale, this is as good as it gets in this stretch. The rest of the day is a bit of a letdown though, with the cross-shore wind chopping it up by the afternoon.

So, the long and short of it is: don’t waste your time for the next two weeks. Save your energy, wax your board, and be ready for that Monday the 24th morning. It’s the only real promise in this forecast, and it’s a good one.

Rusty.

Read more