West Wittering Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s going on over the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, I’ve got to be honest with you – it’s a pretty bleak run for the South Coast. The forecast for West Wittering is a long, drawn-out stretch of poor surf conditions. There’s nothing on the table for the entire 16-day window that’s worth paddling out for. The swell is tiny, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the quality just isn’t there.

We start right now, and it’s grim. The first few days have almost no energy. The combined swell energy is as low as it gets – just 1 (weak) on Tuesday morning, and it barely climbs above that. The water is a very warm 71°, which is a massive 9° warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s the only thing that’s out of the ordinary. The swell is tiny, 0.33 ft to 0.66 ft, with short periods around 5-6 seconds, and the wind is from the southwest, which is onshore for this sheltered spot. That’s a recipe for a flat, choppy mess.

We move through the rest of the week and into the next, and it’s a real desert. The swell height never gets past 3 ft, and even when it does, it’s coming from the southwest with a short period of 4 seconds and a fresh breeze on it. The combined energy does get up to 32 (still weak) on the 4th of August afternoon, but it’s blown out by onshore winds. There’s consistency in the sense that every single entry is marked as poor surf. The only sliver of hope is a couple of mornings – like the 31st of July and the 7th of August – where the wind goes light offshore or cross-off, making the water clean. But even then, the swell is practically non-existent, at 0.33 ft. It’s clean, but flat.

The longer range doesn’t offer any redemption. The 12th of August has a clean morning with a light easterly cross-off, but again, the swell is a pathetic 0.33 ft. It’s just not happening.

This is one of those periods where the forecast is a blank run. It’s not unusual for a sheltered beach/groyne setup like this in the summer to go quiet for a stretch. The setup is too small and too wind-dependent to offer much. Honestly, with the onshore winds and tiny swell, this looks more like a kitesurfing spot than a paddle surf spot right now.

So, there’s no standout here. No best on offer. Just a waiting game until the weather patterns change. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, maybe wax the longboard for a flat-water paddle or just give it a rest.

Rusty.

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