Westward Ho Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m Rusty, and this is the surf outlook for Westward Ho! over the next 16 days. Let’s get straight into it.

Right off the bat, I’ve got to be straight with you – this is a grim run. Most of the time, the waves are there but the wind’s got them all chopped up and messy. We’re looking at a long, frustrating stretch of poor surf conditions. The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Monday, September 14th.

For the first week, from Tuesday the 1st right through to Sunday the 7th, it’s a real grind. The wind is almost always cross-on or onshore, with speeds sitting around 12 to 22 mph. The swell is mostly between 3ft and 6ft from the west or west-southwest, with a period of 6 to 9 seconds – short, weak, choppy stuff. The combined wave energy is all over the place, from a weak 49 up to a moderate 391 (which is still just a messy, lumpy ocean). The water temp is sitting at 66°F with a 4°F anomaly – that’s much warmer than normal for this time of year at Westward Ho!.

Saturday the 5th morning is a tease. Glassy conditions with 3ft swell from the west, 9-second period, and a moderate 147 energy. The report says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” That’s the best you’ll get, and it’s barely a paddling session. The rest of that day and Sunday the 6th are small and messy again.

Then we hit a proper dry spell. From Monday the 7th afternoon right through to Sunday the 13th, it’s pretty much all poor, with tiny windswell and onshore winds.

Now, Monday the 14th of September – that’s your one true standout. Morning and afternoon both deliver. We’ve got a 5ft to 6ft swell from the west, with a period of 7 to 8 seconds. The wind is offshore from the east, blowing at 9 to 15 mph, which will keep things clean. The combined energy is a solid 276 to 320 – moderate but punchy, and the report actually says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the one to circle on the calendar. Beginners should be fine with that size, just watch the period – it’s short-period windswell so it’ll be a bit dumpy and quick to close out.

After that, Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th are back to poor form with cross-on winds and choppy or glassy but weak waves.

So, in short: if you’ve got to paddle out, Saturday the 5th morning is a tiny, clean window for a longboard, but the only real day with proper, clean, surfable waves is Monday the 14th. Don’t hold your breath for the rest.

Rusty.

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