West Wittering Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Well, heads up crew – it’s been a lean stretch for West Wittering, and unfortunately that run looks set to continue for the entire 16-day window. Right now, and for the next couple of weeks, there are no solid options worth paddling out for. The usual sandbanks are just not cooperating with the swell, and the wind patterns are making things messy or too weak to push any decent surf.

We kick off on Wednesday, August 26, with only a tiny 0.3 ft swell from the SW, mixing in a light cross-shore wind – it’s pretty flat and uninspiring. The energy reading is just 2, which is about as weak as it gets. Water temp is sitting at 70°, which is a whopping 7° warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least it’s nice for a swim, but for surfing? Not this day.

Thursday, August 27, sees a slight bump to 2 ft, but the period is a short 4 seconds, meaning it’s choppy and blown out with onshores. The combined energy creeps to 12, but the risk of thunderstorms and messy winds keep things poor. The swell direction starts swinging, but nothing lines up for a clean wave.

Friday, August 28, through to the weekend keeps the pattern of small, weak swell with strong, messy onshore winds. Friday afternoon sees a jump to 5 ft from the SSW, but that comes with 28 mph cross-onshore wind making a real mess – energy hits 155, which is moderate, but with that wind, it’s a washing machine out there. Saturday, August 29, stays similar: 5 ft to 5 ft, period only 6-7 seconds, and onshores blowing 25-31 mph. The energy numbers (146-237) suggest there’s some push behind it, but the wind and short period mean it’ll be lumpy, choppy, and frankly better for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Sunday, August 30, drops back to 2 ft, but the period improves a bit to 10 seconds – though the wind stays onshore at 19-22 mph. Energy sits around 98-102, so moderate but again, not clean.

Monday, August 31, and Tuesday, September 1, keep the same vibe: small swell (2 ft to 3 ft), short period (3-4 seconds), and gusty onshore winds. The energy reads 9-109, but none of it translates to quality surf.

From Wednesday, September 2, onward, the swell really fades – mostly 0.3 ft to 2 ft, periods dropping to 3-5 seconds, and energy values under 30. The winds start shifting, and by Tuesday, September 8, we finally get some clean cross-offshore breezes from the N and NNW, but the swell is almost non-existent – 0.3 ft to 3 ft at best, with a 4-second period on the bigger one. Still, it’s clean, so if you’re desperate, you could catch a waist-high slop at low tide.

Wednesday, September 9, and Thursday, September 10, offer the same story: tiny swell (0.3 ft), but with offshore or cross-offshore winds and clean conditions. The period improves to 8-9 seconds on Wednesday, hinting at some longer-period groundswell, but the size is just too small to do anything with.

So, bottom line: there’s really no standout session in this forecast. If you’re after a paddle and clean lines, maybe the mornings of Tuesday, September 8, or Wednesday, September 9, could offer a brief, small window of clean, tiny waves. But overall, it’s a flat, blown-out outlook for West Wittering. Keep your gear waxed and wait for a better window.

Rusty.

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