Westward Ho Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, mate, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple of weeks.

Straight up, it’s a tough stretch. We’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead, but you’re gonna have to be patient. The first real chance of anything worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until the 30th of August, and even then, it’s a bit of a gamble. Before that, it’s mostly small, wonky, and blown-out. There’s a big gap of flat or poor conditions from now until the 30th, so about 10 days of pretty much nothing.

The one spot we’ve got is Westward Ho, and it’s a beginner-friendly beach break that’s fairly exposed to the west-northwest. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Let’s run through it. The 20th and 21st of August are a write-off—onshore winds, lumpy, choppy, with swell around 6 ft to 5 ft, but it’s just messy. The combined energy is still moderate (372 on the 20th morning), but the wind’s ruining it. From the 22nd right through to the 29th, it’s mostly tiny—0.3 ft to 3 ft—with clean conditions on a few mornings (like the 23rd with light offshore wind), but there’s simply not enough push to surf. That easterly offshore on the 22nd and 23rd morning is a tease, but with swell at 1 ft to 1 ft, you’d be floating.

The first mention of anything surfable is the afternoon of the 30th. That afternoon, we’ve got some cross-offshore wind with a 7 ft swell from the west-southwest, period around 8 seconds. The combined energy hits 560—that’s moderate to strong—so there’s some push. It’s only a 1 out of 10 rating, but it’s the best we’ve got. The wind is clean, so the waves could be a bit shaped. For the beginners, 7 ft is getting a bit big, and the break is a beach, so it might be a bit dumpy and hard to paddle into. Still, if you’re keen, this is the closest to a standout in the whole run. But be warned, crowds are sometimes an issue here.

Then it turns sour again. The 31st of August sees a big jump in swell—10 ft in the morning with a long period of 11 seconds. That’s expert-only territory, especially with onshore winds making it lumpy and choppy. Combined energy is massive at 1762—strong to very strong—but the wind’s cross-onshore, so it’s more of a beast than a treat. The afternoon is similar with 8 ft. Into September, it drops back down to small, weak stuff with onshore or cross-shore winds, barely worth a mention.

If you’re a paddle surfer, the 30th afternoon is your best bet, and it’s only a maybe. Honestly, given the windy, lumpy conditions and the beach setup, this stretch looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a regular surfer on most days.

Stay tuned, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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