Westward Ho Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. The next 16 days are a bit of a mixed bag for Westward Ho, with a lot of small, wind-affected slop before a proper pulse of swell shows up in the second week.

The first real surfable window doesn't arrive until Monday morning, the 3rd of August. We’ve got a small 2ft swell from the WSW with a bit of period, carrying 79 units of combined energy. The water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 65°. The real story here is the wind: a light 6 mph SE breeze is blowing cross-off, keeping the surface clean. It’s not going to knock your socks off, but it’s a chance to get wet. The afternoon turns ugly with a NW cross-on, so get your session in early.

The rest of that first week is a write-off. Tuesday through to Sunday the 9th is a long stretch of poor conditions. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-on, and the swell is either too small, too short-period, or both. On Wednesday the 5th, the swell jumps to 7ft from the west with a massive 573 units of energy, but it’s being hammered by a 19 mph onshore wind. That’s a messy, blown-out mess, and honestly, with that much wind and that size, it looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

After that long, dreary gap, we get a glimmer of hope on Sunday morning the 9th. The swell is tiny at 2ft, but the wind goes glassy from the NNW. If you’re desperate for a slippery, clean surface, you might find a fun little wave, but it’s barely surfable.

The real standout, the one you’ve been waiting for, arrives on Monday the 17th of August. Monday morning is the pick of the entire outlook. We’ve got a solid 6ft swell from the WNW, packing 330 units of energy. The wind is light from the ESE, blowing cross-off, which will groom the face clean. That’s a good, punchy, rideable wave, size-wise it’s still manageable for most intermediates, but it’s substantial enough to get your heart pumping. The morning is the time to be there, as the afternoon gets a bit cross-shore and messy.

The tail end of the outlook on Tuesday the 18th drops back to small, clean but ordinary conditions. Overall, there’s a long dry spell, but that Monday morning of the 17th is the one to circle on the calendar. Keep your fingers crossed the forecast holds.

Rusty.

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