Woolacombe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get stuck into this one. I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for Woolacombe, and honestly, it’s a tough stretch for us. The whole 16-day window is pretty flat and messy, but let’s break it down.

## Overall Picture

We’re looking at a long, quiet period for Woolacombe. The first week is mostly tiny, weak waves with onshore winds messing things up. There’s a brief pulse of size around Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th, but it comes with strong winds and poor conditions. After that, it drops right back off. The second week is a write-off for any proper surf. The combined wave energy stays low most of the time, barely cracking 100 (10-21), except for a few days where it jumps into the moderate range.

The water temperature is about average for the time of year, no big anomaly to report.

## The Breakdown

Tuesday 21st – Friday 24th July: This is a flat spell. Swell heights are 0.7ft to 2ft, short period (4-10 seconds), and the energy is pathetic (4-21). Winds are mostly cross-on or onshore, keeping things choppy and messy. There’s a moment of glassy conditions on Thursday morning the 23rd, but with only 0.7ft of swell, it’s barely a ripple. It’s not worth paddling out for.

Saturday 25th July: The swell tries to pick up a little to 1.0ft-2ft, but the wind is onshore and strong (12-22 mph), blowing it out completely. The energy is the lowest of the run (4-5). No go.

Sunday 26th – Monday 27th July: This is the only window with any real size. Swell hits 5ft-6ft from the W/WNW, with a period of 6-7 seconds. The combined energy jumps into the 200-295 range, which is moderate. But the wind is cross-on to onshore at 15-16 mph, making it choppy and poor quality. The scores are still zero. This is a raw, messy wave. For experienced surfers only, as it’s over 5ft, and the wind is a killer. The short period means it’ll be weak and crumbly. Nothing to get excited about.

Tuesday 28th July – Monday 3rd August: Swell drops back to 0.7ft-3ft, with energy falling off a cliff (7-88). Winds are cross-on or onshore, or on the rare offshore day (30th July) the swell is only 0.7ft. The whole period is a lot of flat, bumpy, or blown-out water. The wind shifts around, but never lines up with decent swell.

Tuesday 4th – Wednesday 5th August: The last days. Swell is 1ft-2ft, period 4-8 seconds, with fresh cross-onshore winds (19 mph). The energy is weak (19-44). It’s a poor end to the forecast.

## Best on Offer

There is no standout in this forecast. The only blip of size is around Sunday 26th into Monday 27th July, but the wind is all wrong. With the wind howling cross-on and onshore, and the swell being short-period, it’s more of a blown-out mess than a surfable wave. If you’re desperate, you could find a bumpy, 6ft wave, but it’s not going to be fun. For a beginner, it’s too big and messy. For an expert, it’s just not worth the hassle.

Given the onshore winds and the beach-and-reef setup, this stretch looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on those days with size.

## Summary

Honest truth? We’ve got a 16-day forecast with hardly any surfable conditions. The first week is flat, the middle has a brief, blown-out pulse, and the second week is flat again. It’s a tough run for Woolacombe. The forecasts can change, but as it stands, leave the board in the shed.

Rusty.

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