Widemouth Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for our local stretch.

Well, I gotta be straight with you – it's a tough one for the next week and a half. The whole 16-day window has surf on offer, but for most of it, it's tiny, weak, and messy. The first real pulse of energy doesn't show up until Monday the 10th of August, and even then the conditions are a battle. We're looking at a long, frustrating wait for anything worthwhile.

Tuesday 28th July kicks it off with tiny 1-foot waves from the WNW at Widemouth Bay. The water's sitting at 64°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but you won't care about that because the surf is just flat. A light westerly breeze on Tuesday afternoon keeps things bumpy, and that theme continues through Wednesday with a bit more wind. Thursday brings a cross-onshore NW breeze and a messy 3-foot swell with a period of just 6 seconds – that's pure wind chop.

Friday and Saturday don't improve. We've got ankle-biters in the 1 to 2-foot range and a lot of cross-onshore wind. Sunday the 2nd of August offers a brief window of glassy conditions in the morning with a light SW breeze, but the swell is still a paltry 1 foot with 8 seconds of period. The energy is basically non-existent, reading only 23 on the combined scale. It's a morning for a paddle, not a surf.

Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th see a slight bump to 2 to 3 feet, but with short periods and onshore or cross-shore winds. By Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th, the wind finally swings offshore from the E and ENE, cleaning things right up, but the swell drops back to a pathetic 1 foot. The whole run from Tuesday 28th July right through to Sunday the 9th of August is a write-off for any decent surfing.

Now, hold on to your boards. Monday the 10th of August is where things get interesting, but with a catch. We see a solid jump in swell to 5 to 6 feet from the west, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined wave energy ramps up into the strong category at 436. But the wind is howling from the W at 12 mph, and it's onshore. This will create some heavy, messy surf. It's not beginner territory at that size, and the conditions will be challenging for anyone.

The best bet in this whole outlook is Tuesday the 11th of August. The swell holds around 4 feet from the west, which is manageable, but more importantly, we get a clean window in the morning. The wind swings to a light offshore from the NE, making for clean, lined-up waves. The period drops to 7 seconds, so it's not a groundswell, but the conditions will make it rideable. The crowd situation at Widemouth Bay is described as "often" busy, so expect company if the surf finally turns on. This is the one morning to circle on the calendar, but it's still a long way out, so keep an eye on it.

After that, Wednesday the 12th sees size increase to 5 to 6 feet, but with onshore wind and a 450 energy reading, it's a messy, powerful beast for experts only. The period is a short 8 seconds.

Overall, this is a testing stretch. The consistency is poor for decent surf, and the first ten days are a total loss. That Tuesday the 11th of August morning is the one real standout, but it's a distant hope. Stay patient.

Rusty.

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