West Wittering Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it.

Look, I’m not gonna lie to you. The next couple of weeks are a tough watch for anyone wanting a proper surf. We’ve got a long, drawn-out run of weak, short-period slop and onshore junk. It’s a real flat spell for West Wittering. You’re looking at at least a week of pretty much nothing rideable, with poor surf conditions stamped all over every single session right up until the 23rd.

Let’s break it down. It kicks off on the 13th with a tiny 2ft SW windswell, period a pathetic 3 seconds, and a cross-on wind that’s going to have it looking messy. The water is feeling like a bath at 67°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s the only nice thing I can say. The combined energy is just 9, which is next to nothing.

The whole following week is the same story. We get a mix of onshore and cross-shore winds, mostly from the SW and WNW, with speeds often up around 15-22 mph. Swell heights stay well under 3ft, periods are short, and the combined energy barely ever gets out of single digits. It’s choppy, lumpy, and not worth paddling out for. The 17th of September afternoon shows the best combined energy of that first week at 29, but with a 2ft swell and a fresh cross-onshore wind, it’s still just a mess. Honestly, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Now, we do get a small window of cleaner conditions later on. Around the 22nd of September, the wind starts playing ball. On the afternoon of the 22nd, we get a light 9 mph cross-offshore breeze from the NNW, and the morning of the 23rd has a 19 mph offshore from the N. The waves are still tiny though, just 2ft to 3ft, and the period is a weak 3-4 seconds. It’ll be clean, but small. The combined energy on the 23rd morning is 16. Not exactly a standout.

Further out, from the 24th into the 28th, the wind stays favourable with offshore and cross-offshore breezes. But the swell completely vanishes. There are multiple days with no swell height recorded at all, and when there is something, it’s less than 0.5ft. A few long-period pulses show up on the 26th and 27th, a 14-second and 12-second groundswell from the south, but the energy is so low you won’t feel it. It’s a classic case of all dressing up with nowhere to go.

The best of a bad bunch is probably the morning of the 23rd. The 3ft SW swell with a clean offshore wind might give up a few crumbly little waves for a log or a foamie, but you’ll be sharing it with the occasional crowd that shows up here. Don’t get your hopes up.

So there you have it. A whole lot of waiting. But that’s West Wittering for you in these flatter months; it tends not to stay poor forever, and forecasts can change. Keep your eye on the wind, and maybe bring the kite gear just in case.

Rusty

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