West Wittering Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. It’s a bleak run of surf ahead for the next couple of weeks, so don’t hold your breath.

The whole 16-day window is a write-off for paddle surfing at West Wittering. We’ve got a long flat spell with nothing on offer, and it’s not looking like it’s going to change. The first week is full of small, weak, onshore slop. Monday morning the 17th kicks things off with a tiny 0.3ft dribble from the west, with a light cross-onshore breeze and bumpy water. It’s poor, no energy behind it at all (1).

Through the middle of the week, it stays messy. Tuesday the 18th has a bit more push in the afternoon, up to 3ft, but it’s coming in with a fresh cross-onshore wind and it’s lumpy. The swell energy is still weak (19). Wednesday and Thursday are more of the same – small, short-period stuff (3-4 seconds) and choppy conditions, not even worth suiting up for.

We finally see some cleaner skies and a swing offshore on Friday the 21st, with a 9-second period bump. But don’t get excited. The swell height drops back to 0.7ft. Clean but nothing to surf. The energy is barely a whisper (9). Saturday the 22nd is flat, and Sunday the 23rd goes completely dead in the morning with a moderate offshore breeze – clean, but no waves at all. The swell energy is zero.

The offshore winds persist on Monday the 24th, but they’re strong, blowing at 25 mph from the northeast, making it hard to paddle even if there was something to catch. There isn’t. The following days stay tiny, with weak west and northwest pulses, but nothing reaching the beach.

The real pick of the bunch – and I use that term loosely – looks to be later in the period around the 31st of August into the 1st of September. There’s a distant pulse showing up with a much longer period, around 21-23 seconds, and the energy starts to climb into the moderate bracket (42 and 53). It’s still only small in height, 0.3ft to 2ft, and the winds are onshore and cross-onshore, so it’ll be lumpy and messy. Plus, with that long period, the waves could be breaking too straight anyway, and we don’t have the points or reefs here to make the most of it. Still, if you’re desperate for a paddle, it’s the most interesting thing on the cards, but it’s for the experienced and patient. Remember, this is a long-range call, so treat it as promising but not set in stone.

Don’t bother with a board for now, the water temp is a balmy 71°, which is much warmer than usual for this time of year, but that's not going to help you ride anything.

We’ve got a real dry spell on our hands. It’s one of those times where you shake your head and check the charts again tomorrow. I won’t be holding my breath.

- Rusty

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