Withernsea Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the next couple of weeks has in store for us at Withernsea. I've got to be straight with you – it's a tough outlook. The pattern is one of long waits and very small, weak surf. There’s a real gap at the start here; the first recommendation for a surf doesn't pop up until Friday morning, the 7th of August.

So, for the next couple of days, Wednesday the 5th and Thursday the 6th, there’s nothing doing. The swell is tiny and the wind is all wrong. Thursday the 6th does see a bit of a bump, with swell building to 3ft from the NW, but with a short period of 7 seconds and a cross-offshore breeze, it’s just not going to shape up. The combined energy is moderate at best (112), but the wave comment says it all: poor surf conditions.

We get our first glimmer of hope on Friday morning, the 7th of August. We’ve got a small 3ft swell from the N, with an 8-second period. The wind swings light offshore from the SW, which is a major positive. It’ll be clean, but the combined energy is only 130, so it's weak. The wave comment calls it "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions", so temper your expectations. It’s the best we’ve got, but it’s not a standout.

After that, it’s back to a grim stretch. From Friday afternoon the 7th right through to Tuesday the 18th of August, we’re looking at a long run of tiny surf. Swell heights hover between 0.3ft and 2ft, the energy is low (often in double digits), and the winds are generally onshore or cross-shore. There’s a glassy morning on Friday the 14th of August with a 0.7ft swell from the N and a 10-second period, but that’s not enough to bother getting wet for.

Now, hold on to your board shorts, because the picture finally changes on Tuesday the 18th of August. A big pulse of swell arrives, pushing 7ft from the N with a short 7-second period. The combined energy jumps to a strong 384, so there’s plenty of water moving. The wind is a fresh cross-offshore from the S, keeping things clean. This is the one true standout in the whole forecast. But here’s the catch – at 7ft and short period, this is expert territory. It’ll be powerful, dumpy, and closing out on a beach break like Withernsea. For the average surfer, it’s going to be a handful. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The swell lingers into Wednesday the 19th with 5ft from the N, but the wind turns cross-shore, making it choppy. By Thursday the 20th, it drops back down to a clean but tiny 2ft.

So, to sum it up: Friday morning the 7th offers a tiny, clean window for the patient surfer, but the real action – and the only true standout – is the expert-only, powerful swell on Tuesday the 18th of August. Everything else is a write-off. A tough run for Withernsea.

Rusty.

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