Whitsand Bay and Tregantle Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long, honest look at what’s coming up for Whitsand Bay and Tregantle. I gotta be straight with you – this forecast is a tough one. The next 16 days are looking like a bit of a write-off for any decent paddle surfing. The whole run is a series of "poor surf conditions," and I can’t in good conscience point to a single standout session. The energy is just not there for a proper wave.

We’re looking at a gap that stretches from now, right the way through to the end of the forecast window on the 20th of September. There are no gaps in the poor conditions; it’s all one long, flat spell. The best we see is a bit of a pulse early on, but even that’s a mess.

For the first few days, from the 5th to the 8th, we do get some swell height – up to 4 ft on the Tuesday afternoon from the WSW. The combined energy hits 383 on the Monday morning, which is a solid moderate energy, but it’s all ruined by the wind. It’s cross-on or onshore the whole time, with a fresh breeze on the Tuesday afternoon (19 mph). The period on that Monday morning is a long 13 seconds, suggesting a proper groundswell, but the wind is just making it choppy and lumpy. It’s a classic case of “looks good on paper, but don’t bother paddling out.”

From the 9th to the 12th, the swell drops off into the 1.0 ft to 2 ft range, and the wind keeps swinging around, cross-shore and cross-onshore. The energy is negligible, barely hitting two digits. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so nothing to write home about there.

After the 13th, it gets even smaller. We’re talking swell heights of 0.7 ft and 1.0 ft, with combined energy dropping to 8 or even 6. The wind does go offshore from the ENE on the 13th morning, which is a positive, and the conditions are described as “clean.” But with a wave that small, you’re just bobbing around. The period gets very long – up to 16 seconds on the 19th – but that’s a long-period, tiny swell hitting a beach break. It’ll break too straight and won’t hold any shape. It’s more of a lake than a surf break.

Honestly, with that amount of wind and poor quality, if you’re looking for a thrill, this setup is more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer. The wind is honest, but the waves are not.

There’s no sugar-coating it. This is a blank run. For this area, it’s a normal thing to see these long flat spells, especially when the wind is this persistent. The forecasts can always change, but right now, the best advice is to leave the board in the car and go for a walk on the cliffs. It’s not going to happen for us.

Rusty.

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