Widemouth Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what we’ve got for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, it’s a grim picture for the most part. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with hardly anything to get excited about. The first recommendation doesn’t even show up until the 28th of July, and from there it’s just a string of poor surf conditions. The water at Widemouth Bay is sitting at 64°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s about the only silver lining.

For the first week, from Tuesday the 28th of July right through to Monday the 3rd of August, it’s tiny and messy. Swell heights barely crack 2ft most days, with periods all over the shop, mostly short and weak. The combined wave energy is dribbling along under 100, often in the 20s and 30s. Winds are a constant problem – mostly cross-onshore, onshore, or just plain lumpy. Tuesday the 28th morning has a cross-on SW breeze at 9 mph mixing up a tiny 1ft WNW swell. Nothing to ride. The outlook doesn't improve – Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, it’s all the same story: small, choppy, and frustrating.

There is a brief glimmer on Sunday the 2nd of August morning. We get a touch of offshore wind from the east at 9 mph, cleaning up a tiny 1ft, 8-second swell. The energy is still a pathetic 23. It’s clean, but you’d be hard-pressed to get a wave worth the paddle. It’s a poor surf condition.

Moving into the second week, things get a bit more interesting but stay ugly. On Monday the 3rd of August afternoon, we finally see the energy jump to 192 (moderate) with a 4ft swell from the WSW, but the period is just 8 seconds and a moderate cross-onshore breeze messes it up. Tuesday the 4th of August morning has similar energy at 151, but again, poor conditions. Thursday the 6th of August morning delivers the biggest pulse of the whole outlook so far: a 5ft NW swell with energy hitting 201, but it’s coming with a 6-second period and a strong cross-onshore wind at 12 mph. That’s a choppy, blown-out mess.

The real event, if you can call it that, arrives on Sunday the 9th of August. The morning brings a solid 6ft swell from the west with a 10-second period, and the combined energy roars up to 627 – that’s a lot of power. But the wind is onshore from the west at 16 mph and it’s showery. Poor surf conditions. The afternoon holds 5ft with energy at 461, but a fresh 22 mph cross-onshore makes it lumpy and ugly. Monday the 10th of August morning is similar with energy at 284, but again, windy and messy.

Honestly, there’s not a single standout in this entire 16-day run. The best you could say is that Sunday the 9th of August and Monday the 10th of August have some size and energy, but the wind ruins everything. With that much onshore wind and a beach-and-reef setup, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. For the crew on a surfboard, it’s a write-off. Keep an eye on it, because forecasts can change, but right now, don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

Read more