West Dale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab your coffee and listen up. Rusty here, taking a hard look at the next few weeks for West Dale.

First off, the outlook is pretty grim for the near future. We’ve got a solid two weeks coming up that are going to test your patience. There’s some swell on the cards, but the wind gods are not playing nice at all, so for the most part, we’re looking at a write-off.

Let’s break it down. From Sunday the 23rd of August through to Wednesday the 3rd of September, it’s mostly a bust. There are some tiny waves here and there – we’re talking ankle-snappers in the 0.7 ft to 1 ft range with weak combined swell energy (around 20-52), and the wind is all over the place. You’ll get some cross-off breezes, but the swell is just too small to bother. A bit of a pulse shows up on Thursday the 27th with a 5 ft swell from the SSW, but the wind is a fresh cross-shore with lumpy chop, so it’s a no-go. The energy climbs to 236, but it’s messy.

Friday the 28th of August morning is a glimmer of hope, and it’s your best bet. We get a clean 5 ft swell from the SW with a 9-second period and a light cross-off breeze. Combined swell energy is 328 – moderate, but it’s the cleanest we’ll see. But don’t get too excited; the afternoon turns ugly with a 8 ft onshore mess.

After that, it’s a long, painful stretch. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th are a washout with strong, onshore winds and lumpy, cross-onshore conditions. The swell gets up to 8 ft, but it’s blown out. Then a period of small, poor-quality surf drags us through until Thursday the 3rd of September, which sees a 7 ft swell from the WSW, but again, the wind is wrong – a gentle cross-shore with chop. We’re talking about a solid week of poor surf conditions here.

The second week looks even more disappointing. From the 5th of September onward, it’s mostly onshore winds and lumpy, choppy conditions. Saturday the 5th has a risk of thunderstorms and strong winds, with a 4 ft onshore mess. The final entry shows a 8 ft swell on Sunday the 6th of September from the SW with fresh cross-onshore wind and lumpy surf – combined swell energy hits a strong 698, but you wouldn't want to be out there.

To be honest, for a beach setup like West Dale, this kind of run is more normal for the area. It’s a waiting game. If you absolutely have to get wet, the Friday morning of the 28th of August is the standout, with that clean 5 ft SW swell. But even then, it’s a short window. For the rest, you’re better off checking the forecasts again in a few days – things can change, but right now, this is a blank run.

Rusty.

Read more