Wye River Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it.

We’ve got a solid block of swell on the way for Wye River, a river/reef setup that’s fairly consistent. The water’s sitting at 57° which is pretty much normal for this time of year, nothing weird going on there. The pattern is a slow build into a long run of solid, powerful groundswell, but the wind is going to be the deciding factor on which sessions are really worth it.

The first real shout is Friday the 21st. It’s a bit of a warm-up, with a 10-foot WSW swell at 14 seconds rolling in. The combined energy is strong at 4848. The wind is cross-off from the WNW, so it’ll be clean but a bit lined up. It’s a solid start, but the tide and conditions are a bit marginal, so don’t expect perfection.

Saturday the 22nd is where it steps up. The swell builds to 13 feet from the SW, still with a 14-second period. The energy is going through the roof – 11984 in the morning and 12532 in the afternoon. The wind is cross, so it’s not offshore clean, but for a big swell at Wye River, it’s manageable. This is expert-only territory at over 8 feet, so leave the foam boards at home.

The standout of the whole run is Sunday the 23rd of August. The swell drops back to a still-chunky 8 feet from the SW, but the period stretches out to a very long 16 seconds. The energy is still strong at 3173. The wind is glassy in the afternoon, with a slight offshore in the morning. This is the one. Clean, grinding lines off the river mouth. This is the session you remember.

Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th mornings are also excellent. The swell is 6 to 7 feet from the SW, with a 14-second period. The wind is a clean offshore from the NNW, giving you gentle, clean faces. The energy is moderate (1423 to 1702). Perfect for a step-down from the weekend.

The middle of the week gets messy. Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday sees a cross-shore wind from the WSW that chops things up. The swell is still there (5 to 7 feet) but the quality drops. Not worth paddling out for.

Then we get a couple of wildcards. Thursday the 27th has a tiny 2-foot SW groundswell in the morning with a 15-second period, but the wind is clean offshore. Then Thursday afternoon goes glassy with a 4-foot SW swell. That’s a sneaky good session for a log or a mid-length.

Friday the 28th brings the size back up to 8 feet from the WSW with a 17-second period – very long period groundswell. The morning is offshore clean, making it a top option for experienced surfers. Expect long, pulsing sets.

The weekend of the 30th and 31st is another big one. Sunday the 30th has a 10-foot SW swell at 15-16 seconds, and the morning goes glassy. The energy is high (3968). That is a serious, clean, big-wave session. Monday the 31st is similar, with a 10-foot SW swell and a cross-off wind, keeping it clean.

The first week of September keeps the swell alive. Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd are both worth a look, with 8 to 12-foot swells. The standout here is Wednesday afternoon, with a 10-foot WSW swell at 14 seconds and a clean cross-off wind. The energy is very strong at 5556.

The tail end of the forecast gets windy and sloppy. Friday the 4th has a strong offshore, but the wind is picking up. Saturday the 5th is a write-off with strong onshore winds and rain. That one’s for the kites, not the paddles.

To sum it up, the absolute best of the bunch is Sunday the 23rd of August. The glassy conditions on an 8-foot, 16-second SW groundswell at Wye River is as good as it gets. For the big-wave crew, Sunday the 30th of August morning with the glassy 10-foot SW is a close second.

Rusty.

Read more