Whitley Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s talk imperial, because I know some of you think in feet. It’s a rough start, no two ways about it.

For the first week, from Sunday, August 30th right through to Saturday, September 5th, it’s pretty dead. Waves are tiny, mostly 2 ft or less, with short periods around 6-7 seconds. That’s just messy wind swell. The combined wave energy is weak, barely cracking double digits (values mostly between 6 and 83). There’s a lot of cross-offshore wind too, which isn’t helping. A couple of sessions on the 5th and 6th get a “1” in the surfable column, but honestly, it’s still poor. For Whitley Bay, a beach break like this with that kind of weak, short-period swell from the north or north-northeast just isn’t going to give you anything you’d want to paddle out for. If you’re a beginner, Sunday morning the 30th has 2 ft swell, but it’s inconsistent and the water temp is 60°, which is about average for this time of year. Nothing to get excited about.

We hit a real quiet patch from the 7th to the 8th of September, with almost nothing on offer.

Now, here’s where it gets a little more interesting. Wednesday, September 9th is the first blip of hope. We’ve got a pulse of longer period swell rolling in. The morning shows 3 ft from the NNE with a period of 10 seconds, and combined energy is a moderate 219. That’s the most energy we’ve seen all week. The wind is light from the west at 6 mph – cross-off, so it’ll be clean. The afternoon gets even better: 3 ft from the NNE, 10 second period, and glassy conditions with an ESE breeze at just 3 mph. That’s about as good as it’s going to get. The water is still around 60°, nothing unusual there. This is a proper groundswell, and while a 10-second period isn’t huge, for Whitley Bay this is the standout window. The break is inconsistent, but when it does come, it’ll be clean and rideable on a longboard or a fish.

Thursday, September 10th keeps the momentum going. In the morning we have 2 ft from the NNE at 9 seconds, with a light WSW offshore wind at 3 mph – that’s clean. The afternoon bumps up to 3 ft from the NNE at 8 seconds, and energy is 101, so still moderate. The wind is light from the SSE, cross-off. It’s not the best of the week, but it’s a solid option.

Friday, September 11th still has 3 ft from the NNE, but the wind stays cross-off from the west at 9 mph. It’s clean enough, but the energy is back down to 68. The period drops to 8 seconds, so it’s losing that longer-period quality.

After that, from the 12th onward, we fade back into small, weak, and messy conditions. The swell drops to under 2 ft and the energy falls off a cliff. There’s nothing worth paddling out for after Friday the 11th.

Bottom line: If you want a wave in this region, mark your calendar for Wednesday the 9th. That afternoon with the glassy conditions and clean 3 ft NNE swell is your best bet by a long shot. The rest of the window is a write-off. It’s a long dry spell, but that one day should scratch the itch. Stay keen.

Rusty

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