West Wittering Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m looking at the entire 16-day stretch for West Wittering, and I won’t lie to you – it’s a tough one. The swell is mostly small, the wind is all over the shop, and this place is a sheltered beach/groyne setup that needs things to line up just right. It’s inconsistent here, and this forecast shows that.

We’re looking at a real dry spell for surf. From Tuesday the 25th of August right through to the end of the month, we’ve got tiny, weak waves with poor conditions. The water is a notable 70°, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s the only highlight. Forget the middle of the first week – it’s all junk.

Friday the 28th of August afternoon sees a little bump, with a 4ft swell from the SW, but that’s got a short period of 8 seconds and a moderate cross-onshore wind chopping it up. The combined energy is moderate (196), but it’s messy. Not worth getting excited about.

Saturday the 29th of August morning brings the biggest swell of the whole run – 6ft from the SSW – but it’s a no-go. The wind is howling onshore at 31 mph from the SW, making it a near gale. That’s blown-out and dangerous, even for the experienced crew. The combined energy is strong (282), but it’s all for the kites. For a paddle surfer, it’s a write-off.

Then we hit a long gap. From Sunday the 30th of August all the way through to Friday the 4th of September, the waves are tiny, the wind is either onshore or strong cross-onshore, and the forecasts are all marked poor. There’s nothing to recommend.

The only flicker of hope comes on Saturday the 5th of September. The morning shows a 5ft SW swell with a 7-second period, and the wind is a gentle cross-shore from the NW. That’s the cleanest wind we’ll see, and the combined energy is strong (242). It’s not a classic, and the period is short, so it’ll be a bit crumbly, but it’s the best on offer. The afternoon brings the same swell but the wind switches to a moderate cross-onshore, so the window is the morning. It’s a single, quiet standout in a long, quiet month.

After that, it’s back to small, weak, and mostly windy for the rest of the second week. The 7th of September has a 1ft swell with a long 12-second period, but the wind is a strong cross-onshore, making it straight-up messy. Not worth a paddle.

Honestly, for West Wittering, this is a bleak 16 days. There’s just not enough quality on offer. The place is inconsistent, and this run proves it. Keep an eye on the Saturday 5th of September morning, but don’t plan your life around it.

Rusty.

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