Westward Ho Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – it’s looking pretty quiet out there for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak surf ahead, so don’t get your hopes up for anything epic just yet.

The next few days are going to be a write-off. From Friday the 7th to Tuesday the 12th, we’re looking at waves around 0.7ft to 1ft with combined swell energy in the weak range (14 to 21). It’s not going to be worth paddling out for anything more than a splash. There’s a touch more energy building on the 12th and 13th, but we’re still talking about knee-high dribble with moderate energy (98 to 188). The wind is mostly cross-onshore or onshore, so it’ll be lumpy and messy anyway.

The first real sign of life shows up on Monday the 17th of August. The swell bumps up to 4ft from the west, with a period of 6 seconds, and combined energy jumps to a moderate 154. But it’s coming with a solid onshore wind, so it’s going to be blown out and difficult to ride. Not one for the log, that’s for sure.

The most interesting window in the whole 16-day stretch is around Thursday the 20th and Friday the 21st. We finally see some proper size. On Thursday afternoon, the swell builds to 6ft from the west, with energy at a strong 247, but the period is a short 6 seconds and the wind is a fresh cross-shore, making it lumpy and messy. This is expert-only territory, and even then, it might be more of a battle than a joyride.

Friday the 21st brings the biggest swell of the period, hitting 6ft from the west with a robust 512 combined energy. But again, the period is short at 8 seconds and the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s going to be a bumpy, powerful mess. This is definitely not for beginners, and even experienced surfers will need to pick their spots carefully. It’s more of a close-out risk than a clean, peeling wave.

After that, it fades back down into the small stuff for the rest of the window. The morning of Tuesday the 19th sees a brief window of clean, cross-offshore wind with 3ft waves, but the energy is weak (63) and it’s still pretty ordinary.

So, here’s the deal. The standout, if you can call it that, is Friday the 21st. It’s the biggest swell we see, but it’s not going to be pretty. If you’re an expert and you’re desperate for a bit of power, it might be your only shot. Otherwise, find a sheltered spot, or just wait for the next proper swell. The water is running a touch warmer than average for this time of year, coming in at 65°, which is nice.

This is Westward Ho!, so with these conditions, it might honestly look more interesting for the kite surfers than the paddle surfers. The forecast can always change, but for now, patience is the name of the game.

Rusty out.

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