Westward Ho Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf. We’re not talking about a few dodgy days here and there; this is a proper flat spell. There’s a whole lot of nothing on the table, with only a couple of tiny windows where you might squeeze into a board if you’re really desperate.

The long and short of it is, we’ve got a whole string of days with weak, short-period swell and a lot of cross-onshore wind that’s just going to chop it all up. The first real chance you have to even think about getting wet is the morning of Monday the 3rd of August. Even then, it’s not much. We’re looking at a small 2ft of west-southwest swell, but the good news is it’s glassy. That slight air and clean conditions are a massive plus. The energy is weak, only 82 in the combined swell energy bracket, so it’s not going to be epic, but it’s clean and surfable. That’s about all we can ask for right now.

That Monday afternoon, the wind swings back onshore and chops it up again, and it stays messy for a few days. The water’s warm, by the way. We’re talking 65°, which is a good 4° warmer than usual for this time of year—that’s a real treat, at least.

The next window that’s worth a look is the morning of Saturday the 8th of August. Again, it’s small, 2ft of west-southwest swell, but the wind is light. It’s still tagged as cross-on, but with that light air, it might have a chance of cleaning up. The period is only 7 seconds, so it’s not going to have much push, but the energy is up a touch to 38. It could be something, but don’t get your hopes up.

After that, another quiet spell. The morning of Sunday the 9th is glassy with a 2ft west-southwest swell, but the energy is weak. It’s clean, but you’d be kidding yourself if you thought it was good.

Then, finally, there’s the morning of Tuesday the 11th of August. This is our standout. It’s still small, 2ft, but it’s from the west with a 10-second period, which is a bit more decent. The wind is glassy, and the energy is 51, which is the best we’ve seen in a while. It’s got a bit more life to it. For an exposed spot like Westward Ho! with that WNW optimum swell direction, this is the pick of the bunch. It’s clean, it’s glassy, and there might be a few fun little waves. But, and it’s a big but, it’s a small one.

After that, we’re back into the doldrums. The energy picks up a bit around the 14th of August, with the swell finally pushing over 3ft, but the wind is just going to be too strong and onshore. We’re talking 18-19 mph cross-onshore winds, making it lumpy and messy. That’s not surf for us; that’s more for the kiteboarders.

So, yeah. It’s a tough stretch. There’s one day, that Tuesday the 11th, that is your best bet. It’s clean and glassy, and it’s about as good as it’s going to get. The long-range stuff is a distant hope, but it’s too far out and the wind looks bad. Stay patient, maybe stretch your legs on the 11th, and keep an eye on the charts because this can’t last forever.

Rusty.

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