Westport-The Groins Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: it's a slow start. The first real surfable day we've got is Wednesday morning, August 26th at Westport-The Groins. It's a beach/jetty setup, and it's sheltered, so it doesn't need a huge push to show something. We're looking at a tiny 2 ft swell from the SW, but the period is a very long 16 seconds. That's proper groundswell energy, which means long waits between sets, but the ones that come through will have some shape. The combined energy is moderate (209), and the water is a touch warmer than usual at 62°F. The real winner here is the wind: a light offshore from the SSW. That'll keep the faces clean for a morning session. Don't expect much, but for a mid-week bump, it's something to wet the line.

Wednesday afternoon holds similar, but the wind swings cross-offshore, so it'll still be clean. We get a bit more energy in the water (166) but the swell stays tiny at 2 ft.

Thursday morning, August 27th, the wind picks up to a moderate 16 mph from the S. Still offshore, but that breeze is getting a bit fresh. The swell is the same 2 ft, and the energy is low (157). It's surfable, but it's a grind.

Friday through to early September, it's a real write-off. The wind is all over the place – cross, cross-on – and the swell is small and weak. The quality is poor, so I wouldn't waste your gas. There's a solid 8-day gap there with nothing worth paddling for.

Wednesday morning, September 2nd, we finally see a change. The wind is light and cross-offshore from the WSW, and the swell bumps up to 3 ft from the W. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it's windswell, not groundswell, but the energy is moderate (254). It'll be a bit lumpy, but the clean wind will make it more fun than the previous week.

Now, the first real standout comes on Saturday, September 5th. Get your calendar out for this one. The morning looks clean with a light offshore from the S. The swell is 2 ft from the SW with a very long 17-second period. The energy is strong (457). This is a classic groundswell. For Westport-The Groins, a 2 ft SW groundswell with offshore wind is about as good as it gets for a clean, lined-up bank. The long period will make the waves hollow and pushy for the size. It's a "rarely breaks" sort of spot, so when it lines up like this, you jump on it. The crowd profile says "sometimes," so expect a few locals out, but it won't be a circus.

Sunday, September 6th, the swell pushes up to 6 ft from the WNW, but the period drops to 10 seconds. That's a lot more water moving, but it's a cross-shore wind from the ENE in the morning. At 6 ft, it's getting into the intermediate zone, maybe a bit much for a beginner. The energy is very strong (784), but the wind will chop it up. It's a beach/jetty, so with the cross-shore, it might be a better session for the kite crew than for paddle surfers.

Monday, September 7th, the swell peaks at 7 ft from the WNW. That's expert territory, and the wind is a cross-shore from the ENE again. The energy is massive (970), but the conditions are poor. It's going to be a messy, powerful beast. Unless you're very experienced and have a board for it, give it a wide berth. The kite surfers will be having a field day.

After that, it drops back down to small, grovelly conditions for the rest of the forecast. So, to wrap it up: the best bet is the morning of Saturday, September 5th for a clean, classic Westport-The Groins session. The early morning of Wednesday, August 26th is the only other thing worth a look before that.

Rusty.

Read more