West Shore Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’ve had a look at what’s on offer for the next sixteen days, and I’ll be straight with you – it’s looking pretty lean. The window kicks off on Thursday morning, the 27th of August, but don’t get your hopes up. The only break in the mix is West Shore Beach. The water is sitting at 54°, which is a bit colder than usual for this time of year, so you’ll want a decent spring suit.

The forecast opens with a weak, 0.7ft swell from the ESE on Thursday morning, with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is only 13, so there’s very little power. The onshore breeze will keep things messy, and it’s just not worth paddling out. Thursday afternoon doesn’t improve either – we’re looking at 1ft of short-period, 4-second wind swell from the SE, giving a combined energy of 12, and the wind is cross-on. Not good.

Friday the 28th isn’t much better. The swell picks up a touch to 2ft on Friday morning from the ENE, but the period is a short 5 seconds, so it’s just wind chop. The combined energy rises to 24, but it’s still weak. The wind is onshore at 12 mph, which is straight-on and ugly. Friday afternoon is the same story, just cross-on wind and chop.

Saturday the 29th might be the closest thing to a saving grace, but it’s still far from great. The swell is 2ft from the NE, period is 6 seconds, and combined energy is 56 – still on the low side. The morning is cross-on, so it’s choppy. However, Saturday afternoon offers a bit of hope: the wind goes glassy, at just 3 mph from the NE, and the swell is 2ft from the ENE. The energy drops to 42, but with glassy conditions, it’s the most surfable window of the entire period. The break is a beginner-friendly beach, so if you’re learning, this could be a window to get some small, clean waves. Expect crowds as this spot is often busy.

From Sunday the 30th right through to the end of the forecast, it’s a long dry spell. The swell drops to 1.0ft or less, with combined energy rarely above 18, and often down to just 2 or 3. The wind is frequently offshore or glassy, but there’s simply no swell to work with. The period does get longer, up to 10-11 seconds at times, but with no height, it’s a flat spell. The only faint glimmer is on the 10th of September, when the swell nudges up to 3ft from the NE, with a period of 5 seconds and combined energy of 33. The morning is glassy, but the swell is windswell with no real power. The 11th of September morning has 2ft from the ENE at 10 seconds, with 54 combined energy and glassy wind – it’s surfable but very ordinary. Even then, it’s not a standout.

To be honest, this is a tough stretch. The whole 16-day window is a struggle for waves. A few breaks in the area are fairly consistent, so this kind of blank run is a bit unusual, but it’s what we’ve got right now. The standouts? There aren’t any. The only session that’s worth a mention is Saturday afternoon, the 29th of August, at West Shore Beach – small, clean, and glassy. Don’t expect much else.

Rusty.

Read more