Widemouth Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, grab a coffee, ’cause I’ve looked over the next 16 days here at Widemouth Bay and, truth be told, it’s a bit of a tough stretch. We’ve got a long dry spell to get through before anything even starts to look half decent. The first proper session worth talking about isn’t until Wednesday, July 8th.

The whole period is plagued by small, weak swell. The wave energy is mostly in the doldrums – we’re talking readings between 22 and 135, which is barely a heartbeat for the ocean. Even the higher number on Sunday the 12th (135) is still only considered moderate energy, and it’s coming with terrible, short-period windswell.

So, the first glimmer of hope is Wednesday, July 8th. Right from the morning we get a late show. Swell is a tiny 2ft from the W, but the critical detail is the wind: it’s glassy. A NE light breeze at 3 mph. That’s a total treat. The water temp is sitting at 63°, which feels much warmer than normal for the time of year – nice for the skin. The break is a beach and reef setup that is fairly consistent, and the optimum swell direction is WNW, so we’re getting close. “Surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” is the note, and with that energy only at 63, and the swell being just 9 seconds, it’s not going to be pumping. For a beginner on a log or a foamie, this could be a nice, clean paddle with some crumbly shoulders. But don’t expect any barrels.

Thursday, July 9th, the morning session is similar. 2ft from the W, with a cross-offshore breeze from the NE at 9 mph. It’s clean and surfable. Again, ordinary, but at least it’s not blown out. Still only scoring a 1 out of 10 in the data, so keep expectations in the car park.

The only other time the numbers tick up is Sunday, July 12th. The swell jumps to 4ft, the biggest in the whole outlook. But don’t get excited just yet. That swell is from the NNW and the period is a shocking 5 seconds. That’s just wind-chop. It will be lumpy and sectiony. The energy is 135, which is the highest here, but it’s low quality. The plus side is a solid East wind of 12 mph making it offshore and clean. For a more experienced surfer on a grovel board, you might find a few fun little wedges, especially if it hollows out on the reef sections at low tide. The direction is off from the optimum WNW though, so the shape won’t be perfect.

After that, it’s a long, fizzling out. The middle of the week, July 14th onwards, we get winds swinging onshore and cross-onshore, with the swell dropping to 2ft or less. Total write-offs. The last day of the forecast, Saturday, July 19th, shows a tiny 1ft onshore with a 10 second period. Not worth paddling out for.

The Standout: If you’ve got to pick one window, it’s the Wednesday morning (July 8th). The glassy conditions at Widemouth Bay are a rare, precious gift. The waves are small, so take a big board, but the calm surface and the warmer water will make for a genuinely pleasant and relaxing session. It’s not epic, but it’s the only picture of peace in the whole 16 days. The beach and reef setup here can be fairly consistent, so there will be a wave to catch, even if it’s just a small one. Expect some company though – the crowds here are tagged as ‘often’, and a clean day will bring them out.

For the rest of the week, just watch the tide come in and go out.

Rusty.

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