Woolacombe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’ve looked over what’s happening at Woolacombe, and I’m gonna be straight with you – it’s a pretty grim stretch ahead. You’re looking at a solid 16-day window with very little to get excited about. The water is sitting at 65°F – that’s much warmer than normal for this time of year, so if you’re just having a paddle, it’s comfortable, but for surfing, the quality just isn’t there.

The first few days are a write-off. Saturday morning August 1st has a weak 2ft swell from the west with a short period and cross-onshore wind making it choppy. That’s the story for most of the first week – tiny, messy waves with poor conditions. Sunday morning August 2nd does have offshore easterly winds at 12 mph, so the surface will be clean, but the swell is only 1ft. It’s clean but tiny. Monday August 3rd morning is probably the best of a bad lot, with a light offshore breeze and 2ft swell from the WSW, but the period is short at 8 seconds so the energy is weak (energy around 73). It’s surfable but very ordinary.

Things get a bit more energetic from Wednesday August 5th through to Thursday August 6th, with swell heights pushing 4ft to 5ft from the west, and the combined energy climbs into the moderate range (161 at its peak Wednesday afternoon). But the wind is onshore or cross-onshore and choppy, ruining any chance of quality. The period is short, too – 6 to 7 seconds – so it’s just lumpy, messy, and not worth paddling out for.

There’s a small window Friday August 7th morning with glassy conditions and a light southerly breeze, but the swell is a pathetic 2ft. It’s a glassy ankle-snapper at best. After that, it’s back to tiny or non-existent surf for a long stretch. From August 8th to August 11th, the swell drops to 0.7ft or less, and the energy is in the single digits. The sea basically goes flat.

The next possible glimmer comes Wednesday August 12th morning with offshore easterly winds at 3 mph and 2ft swell from the west. The period is 9 seconds, so the shape might be a bit better, but the energy is still weak (63). Again, surfable but very ordinary. Thursday August 13th morning has a moderate energy reading (108) and an onshore wind, but the swell is only 3ft from the west with a decent period, so it’s likely sloppy.

The outlook gets worse from there. Friday August 14th brings heavy rain and strong southwesterly winds up to 25 mph, making for a complete mess. The rest of the forecast period is dominated by onshore winds and tiny, weak waves. Honestly, there’s no standout session here. The setup is so poor for paddling that if you’re into kite surfing, the stronger winds later in the second week might be more interesting than trying to get a surfboard in.

So, Rusty’s honest take: don’t hold your breath. The surf is weak, the winds are wrong, and the quality is low. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d be looking elsewhere or taking a break.

Rusty.

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