Westward Ho Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, folks. Rusty here, and I’ve got to be straight with you – looking at this 16-day window for Westward Ho, it’s a tough one. The swell is coming, but the wind is just going to ruin it for almost every session. We're stuck in a pattern of onshore and cross-onshore winds, leaving the surf choppy and messy. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so nothing unusual to report there.

The first real chance of a wave comes Friday morning, August 21st. We’ve got a small 2ft swell from the west, with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is weak (74), but here’s the thing – we finally get a north-northeasterly breeze coming cross-offshore, which will clean things up. It’s not going to be big, but the conditions will be the best we’ve seen. It’s a beginner-friendly break anyway, so the small waves won’t be an issue for learning. You might get a couple of fun ones before the wind swings around.

Then we hit a proper flat spell. From Saturday the 22nd right through to Monday the 24th, the swell drops to 1ft. The energy is basically nothing, with readings between 20 and 42. There's a glassy morning on Monday the 24th with the wind gone completely calm, but there’s just no water moving. Forget about it.

Things start to look a bit more promising on Tuesday afternoon, August 25th. The swell picks up to 4ft from the west, with a 10-second period. The combined energy jumps to 314 (moderate). The wind comes from the south-southeast, which is cross-offshore again, keeping it clean. The report calls it marginal, but for Westward Ho, this is likely the best day on offer. It’s a fairly consistent spot, but the quality won’t be world-class. Later that week, around Saturday afternoon, August 29th, a 6ft west swell rolls in with 8-second period and moderate energy (328), but it’s cross-shore and choppy. Not worth getting excited about.

By the time we hit September, the swell is there, but it's got a cross-onshore wind on it. On Tuesday, September 1st, we’re looking at a strong 7ft west swell (900 energy), but it’s powered by a strong southwesterly wind. For most, that’s going to be a messy, blown-out mess. At that size, it's pushing expert territory, but the wind makes it look more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

So, my honest take: the standout is Friday morning, August 21st, for the clean conditions, and Tuesday afternoon, August 25th, for the best combination of size and clean wind. The rest is a write-off. Keep the board in the car for those windows.

Rusty.

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