Woolacombe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming up for Woolacombe over the next couple of weeks. I’ve got to be straight with you – it’s a tough outlook. We’ve got a long, grim stretch of poor conditions to get through before anything remotely rideable shows up, and even then, it’s not exactly firing.

Right now, we’re in a real flat spell. From the 11th of September all the way through to the 21st, there’s just nothing worth paddling out for. It’s mostly cross-onshore winds, messy, lumpy, choppy – surfable? Nah, not really. The swell is either too weak or it’s getting mangled by the wind. A few of those days have a bit of size, like Thursday the 17th with a 6ft swell from the west, but it’s got a short, crumbly period of 7 seconds and a fresh cross-onshore breeze. That’s just a washing machine. Honestly, it looks more like a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.

The water temperature is sitting at about 65°, which is *much warmer* than normal for this time of year – a solid 5° above average. That’s pretty unusual, so at least you won’t be freezing while you’re sitting there waiting for a wave.

Now, let’s talk about the light at the end of the tunnel. The only two windows that even come close to being worth a mention are right at the end of the forecast.

First up, Tuesday the 22nd of September. Early morning, the wind swings around to a light easterly offshore at 9 mph, and we get a clean, glassy surface. The swell is a small 3ft from the west, with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is moderate (154). The offshore wind is a major positive here – it’ll be clean. But honestly, the size is tiny. It’s a gamble, but you might get a few fun little ones if you’re on a log. Expect crowds *sometimes* at this break, but with surf this small, it might not be too bad.

The other standout – and for me, this is the only one that gets me a little excited – is Saturday the 26th of September in the afternoon. We get a 5ft swell from the west-southwest, a 7-second period, and a light offshore breeze from the northeast. The combined energy is strong (269), and the report says “expect good surf conditions”. After nearly two weeks of garbage, that’s music to my ears. The wind will be clean, so the waves should have some shape, even if the period is a bit short. This is the one to pencil in.

For all of this, the optimum swell direction for Woolacombe is west-northwest, and most of the swell we get is from the west, so we’re in the right ballpark.

So, in summary: we’ve got a long, bleak run of nothing until the last few days. The 22nd offers small, clean waves for the patient surfer, but Saturday the 26th afternoon is the real pick of the bunch. It’ll be a busy one if it comes together.

Stay stoked, be patient, and I’ll see you in the water.

Rusty.

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