West Wittering Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the outlook for West Wittering.

Honestly, mate, we’re in for a tough stretch. This 16-day window is pretty flat. It’s not often we see such a long quiet spell, and that’s what’s on the cards here. There’s nothing to get excited about right from the start – we’re talking days and days with barely a ripple. Essentially, the surf is absent through most of August. The first real sniff of something rideable doesn’t appear until Tuesday the 1st of September, and even then it’s not a classic.

The water is sitting at a notable 71° at the start – that’s much warmer than usual for this time of year, so at least a dip will be pleasant. But the wind is a problem. Through the first week we’ve got strong westerly winds, mostly onshore or cross-onshore, gusting up to 19 mph or more. That’s just shredding any tiny bump that might try to form. There are a few morning windows around the 21st and 22nd of August with light offshore breeze and clean conditions, but the swell is so small – like 0.7 ft or 0.3 ft – that you won’t even need a board. It’s a total no-go.

All of that combined energy reading is in single digits for weeks. The combined wave energy barely cracks 9 on the 18th, and mostly sits between 0 and 7. It’s just lifeless.

Now, here’s the only glimmer – the 1st of September. Tuesday morning shows a bit of a lift: we’ve got a 5 ft swell coming from the SSW, with a period of just 5 seconds. That period is short, so it’ll be a bit shapeless and fat. Combined energy hits 102, so it’s at least got some push (moderate energy). The wind is NW at 22 mph, so it’s cross-shore – tricky but not a total write-off. The afternoon cleans up beautifully with a lighter N wind at 19 mph going cross-offshore, and the swell drops slightly to 4 ft but with a longer 8-second period, which will help the shape. The energy even bumps up to 177, so there’s definitely some welly there for a beach/groyne setup.

That Tuesday afternoon on the 1st of September is the only real standout. Swell direction from the SSW matches the optimum for West Wittering (SW), and with cleaner winds, you might find a few lumpy but ridable ones, especially as the tide does its thing. Just don’t expect perfection – it’s still a beach/groyne break, so it’ll be a bit fat, but you can get a slide in. It’s inconsistent here at the best of times, so you’ll have to sit and wait for the sets. Crowds are possible as word gets out that there’s finally some height.

For a beginner, that 5 ft in the morning is on the bigger side but not out of the question if they’re careful on a longboard, though the choppy cross-shore might be a handful. The afternoon at 4 ft is a bit better for them if they’re confident. Over 8 ft? Not an issue here. It never gets that big in this outlook. The biggest day is that 5 ft, so it’s all very humble.

Before that? Absolute flatness. After the 2nd of September, it drops back to tiny onshored slop. So if you’re keen, pencil in that Tuesday the 1st of September afternoon. Otherwise, save the petrol.

Rusty.

Read more