Zandvoort Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here, and I’ve got to be straight with you – this 16-day window for Zandvoort is a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of lumpy, cross-shore slop for the most part, with only a few fleeting moments that might be worth a look if you’re desperate. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, nothing unusual there.

The pattern kicks off on Saturday, 29 August, and straight away it’s messy. Saturday morning has rain showers with a 6 ft swell from the WSW, but the wind is a fresh 22 mph cross-shore from the SW, turning it into lumpy cross-chop. Combined swell energy is 249 (moderate), but that’s all noise. Saturday afternoon drops to 3 ft but still poor.

Sunday, 30 August, and Monday, 31 August, are more of the same – 6 ft to 6 ft swells from the W and WSW, but every session is plagued by fresh cross-onshore wind. The break (Zandvoort) is an exposed sandbar, and with that wind, it’s just a washing machine. Tuesday, 01 September, fades into tiny nothingness – 2 ft and 2 ft with gentle breeze. Combined energy drops to 42 and 33 (weak). Wednesday and Thursday stay poor to weak, with Thursday morning (03 September) seeing a strong 25 mph cross-onshore wind making a 6 ft swell look like a stormy mess.

Then we get a flicker. Saturday, 05 September, morning sees a solid 8 ft swell from the WNW at 8 seconds, with an offshore wind from the NW at 16 mph. The combined energy jumps to 778 (strong). But this is a sandbar break, and that 8-second period swell is short-period windswell. For experts, that 8 ft is big, and for beginners, it’s too big. Saturday afternoon stays at 7 ft with 13 mph onshore wind from the NW (647 energy, still strong). It’s still not clean – the wind is onshore, so the quality is poor. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Sunday, 06 September, cleans up for a brief moment. Morning shows a clean 3 ft from the NNW with a cross-offshore wind from the SW at 19 mph. Combined energy is only 91 (weak), so it’s small, but it’s clean. That’s probably the best on offer for the first week, but you’ll need a longboard.

The second week is mostly flat or messy. Monday, 07 September, and Tuesday, 08 September, are either tiny or blown out. Tuesday, 08 September, gets a 7 ft to 8 ft WSW swell with strong cross-onshore wind – again, kite surf territory, not a paddle session.

The only real stand-out in the entire 16-day window comes on Thursday, 10 September. The morning shows a 4 ft swell from the NNW at a long 10 seconds, with a cross-offshore wind from the SSW at 9 mph. Combined energy is 314 (moderate). It’s described as “clean” and “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” but a 10-second period groundswell with clean wind at 4 ft at Zandvoort is a rare treat. This is a sandbar, so the longer period might make it break a bit too straight, but it’s worth checking the tide. Afternoon stays clean with a 3 ft swell from the NNW (171 energy, moderate) and light breeze. This Thursday session is your best bet across the entire outlook.

Friday, 11 September, has a tiny 2 ft swell with offshore wind from the SE, but it’s just too small to get excited about. The rest of the run into 13 September is flat or tiny.

So, the honest word is: there are gaps of several days with no real recommendations. From 29 August to 05 September morning (except that kite-surf-sized Saturday), it’s poor. Then from 06 September afternoon onward, it’s mostly tiny or messy again until Thursday the 10th. That Thursday is the one to circle. But it’s over a week away, so keep an eye on the forecasts – they can change. For now, don’t sell your soul for this stretch.

Rusty.

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