Westward Ho Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what the ocean’s got cookin' for us over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s gonna be a lean start. We’re lookin’ at a long stretch of tiny, weak waves that just aren't worth paddling out for. From Sunday the 23rd right through to Thursday the 28th, the swell is barely a whisper, with the combined energy sitting below 100 (25 to 67). It’s a flat spell, plain and simple. The wind is mostly offshore or light, which would be a dream if there was any swell, but there just isn't.

Things finally start to get a little interesting on Friday morning, August 28th. The swell picks up to a modest 3 ft from the WSW with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy climbs to a moderate 157. It’s still not gonna set the world on fire – the report says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” – but it’s the first real chance to get wet after a long dry spell. The morning has a light breeze from the NNE, keeping things reasonably clean. Come afternoon, the wind swings onshore from the west, so the morning session is your only real window.

The weekend of August 29th and 30th is a write-off. We’ve got some size, with swell pushing 6 ft on Saturday, but it’s being hammered by strong onshore westerly winds. That’s just messy, blown-out surf. The combined energy is strong (389 to 377), but it’s not the kind of energy you want for a clean ride.

Now, Monday the 31st of August offers another tiny glimmer. The morning is clean with a light SSE breeze and a 3 ft west swell (energy at 103), but it’s still just “ordinary.” The real highlight of the whole 16-day run, though, comes Monday afternoon. The wind drops to glassy conditions from the NE at just 3 mph. The swell drops to 3 ft from the west with an 8-second period, and the energy sits at 109. It’s not big, but when the ocean goes that glassy, it’s a gift. You can bet the crowd will be out at Westward Ho for that session, so expect some company.

After that, we slip back into a lull. From Tuesday, September 1st, through to Sunday, September 7th, the waves are small again, mostly under 3 ft, with periods all over the place. The wind is a mixed bag of cross, cross-on, and onshore. There are a couple of days where the swell bumps up – Thursday, September 3rd, has a 5 ft swell, but with light cross-shore wind it’s just not coming together cleanly. The final few days, especially around the 6th and 7th of September, see a jump in size with a 7 ft swell on the Sunday afternoon and combined energy hitting 676, but that’s accompanied by strong cross-onshore winds. That kind of power and chop is more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle folk.

Honestly, the best bet is that glassy Monday afternoon session on the 31st of August. It’s the one true standout in a long, otherwise quiet forecast.

Rusty.

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