Westward Ho Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s shaping up for the next couple of weeks here at Westward Ho! (North Devon). To be honest with you, I’ve been staring at the charts and it’s a bit of a frustrating run for us. There's a fair bit of swell energy coming through at times, but the wind gods aren't playing ball for most of it.

We kick off with a pulse of moderate energy (238) on Thursday the 3rd – around 5ft of west swell with a short, weak 8-second period. But that’s a write-off, mate. Onshore winds are howling at 16-19 mph, so it’s going to be a messy, lumpy old mess. Not worth getting wet for.

Friday the 4th actually sees a jump in size with 7ft waves (535) and then 6ft (390) in the afternoon, but again, the wind is straight onshore from the WNW at 19 mph. The power is there, but the surface will be junk. This is more of a windsurfing or kiting show than a paddle session.

Right, the first real glimmer of hope comes on Saturday the 5th. The morning is looking *very* interesting. Swell drops to a clean 4ft from the west with a better 9-second period (212), and the wind goes totally glassy. Just a slight air from the west. That’s a window of smooth, clean conditions. That 4ft might sound small, but on a clean Westward Ho! sandbar, it’ll offer some fun little runners. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so a spring suit will be fine. After that, the afternoon gets a bit scrappy again with a cross-onshore breeze.

Sunday the 6th is small and the wind swings offshore, but it’s from the SE at 16 mph, which leaves it cross-off and weak. Down to 2ft and minimal energy (43). Not really worth the paddle.

Then we get another big pulse of energy from Monday the 7th through Tuesday the 8th. Monday morning sees a solid 7ft groundswell (1111) with a very long 12-second period. That’s a lot of water moving, but the onshore wind at 16-19 mph kills it. Tuesday is even bigger, with 8ft waves (1051) and a strong breeze hitting 25 mph onshore. That’s expert-only territory at best, and with that wind, it’s just a washing machine. The combined energy is very high, but the quality is shot. For kite surfers, this window on Monday and Tuesday could be epic, but for us paddle surfers, it’s a no-go.

The rest of the first week and into the second week is a bit of a wasteland. We get repeated onshore and cross-shore winds with short-period swell, keeping things lumpy and weak. There’s a notable gap of several days where there’s just nothing recommended.

We finally get a couple of bright spots to finish the run. On Monday the 14th, early morning looks tidy. The swell is only 3ft from the west, but the wind is light offshore from the east at 6 mph, creating clean little lines. Energy is low (89), but it’ll be fun for a longboard or a foamie.

And then the real pick of the second week is Tuesday the 15th morning. Glassy conditions with a slight offshore breeze from the ESE, again with 3ft of west swell, but this time with a 10-second period (152). That’s a little more push and shape. It’ll be tiny, but perfectly clean. For consistency and quality given the surrounding junk, that Tuesday morning session is the standout of the whole 16 days.

So to wrap it up: Saturday the 5th is your best bet for the first week for a fun, clean session with some size. For the second week, keep Tuesday the 15th morning circled – it’s a small but beautiful window of clean surf. The rest is mostly a write-off due to wind, so don’t get your hopes up too high for the long-range stuff.

Stay frothy.
Rusty

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