Whitley Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – we’ve got a rough patch ahead for Whitley Bay. There’s a whole lot of nothing to start with, and the window of proper surf is real narrow. We’re looking at a 16-day run, but the first solid recommendations don't kick in until the back end of the first week.

The first few days are a write-off. Friday the 17th and Saturday the 18th are a total mess. The wind is howling cross-on from the north, and the combined energy is weak to moderate at best, with values around 16 (low energy) and climbing to 256 to 294 (moderate energy) over Saturday. The swell is there, but it’s short-period, choppy junk. Not worth a paddle.

Sunday the 19th morning, the swell pushes up to 7 ft from the NNE, with a period of 10 seconds and a combined energy of 804 (strong wave energy). But the wind is still cross-on and the conditions are rated poor. That afternoon, the wind swings onshore from the NNE at 9 mph, and the swell drops to 6 ft. The forecast calls it marginal, with a score of 1 out of 10. It’s a sniff of something, but not a standout.

Monday the 20th and Tuesday the 21st are tiny and weak. Monday’s swell is 4 ft dropping to 3 ft, with combined energy of 177 to 124 (moderate). Tuesday morning goes glassy, but the swell is only 2 ft with a period of 7 seconds and energy of just 45 (weak). The water temperature is reading 60°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, up by 2°F. That’s a nice little anomaly, but it won’t help the waves.

We hit a dry spell from Wednesday the 22nd through to Friday the 31st of July. The swell is small, the wind is rarely clean, and the combined energy stays mostly under 100. On Wednesday the 22nd afternoon, there’s a pulse of 5 ft with energy of 237 (moderate), but the cross-on wind from the north at 16 mph kills it. Thursday the 30th sees a tiny 2 ft to 2 ft push from the ESE, but the period is short and the energy is low. Not worth suiting up.

The only real standout here is Saturday the 1st of August. That morning, the wind goes glassy – dead calm, 0 mph from the SSW. The swell is 4 ft from the NNE, with a period of 7 seconds and combined energy of 124 (moderate). The conditions are described as "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions," scoring a 1 out of 10. It’s not pumping, but after two weeks of junk, a clean 4 ft set with no wind is a rare treat. The afternoon holds up with a light cross-offshore breeze from the south at 9 mph, keeping the surface clean. The swell drops to 4 ft, but the energy holds at 143 (moderate). This is the best on offer – a quiet, clean session for the patient surfer.

Just remember, Whitley Bay is an inconsistent beginner spot, and the crowds are sometimes an issue, so if you see a clean morning, get out there early. That’s your window.

Rusty.

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