Zandvoort Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gather 'round, crew. Rusty here. Let's be straight with you: this stretch for Zandvoort (Netherlands) is a tough one. A real tough one. We've got a mix of swell pulses and a whole lot of wind, and finding a window that's actually clean is going to test your patience. The good news is there are a few moments where things line up, but you'll have to choose your session carefully. For the most part, it's a story of strong winds and wonky conditions, with a couple of quiet, glassy windows tucked away much later on. The water temp is sitting at a very unusual 68°F, standing out as much warmer than normal for this time of year – that's a solid 4°F above the average, so the water will feel noticeably warm.

First up, the early part of the outlook is a write-off. From the start of the period, we're looking at Saturday the 5th with a 6ft WNW swell, but a 35 km/h cross-on wind from the WNW is tearing it up. The combined energy of the swell is moderate at 376, but with that much breeze, it's just a messy, lumpy affair. Sunday the 6th drops right off – barely a ripple at 2ft on a light SSE cross-off, but the energy is a paltry 58. That's a no-go. We see a similar pattern of cross-onshore wind and small, poor-quality surf right through the whole first week and into the second. There's a pulse of energy on Wednesday the 9th (6ft from the W, energy 316) and again on the 12th (7ft from the WNW, energy 362), but each time it’s accompanied by a strong to fresh cross-onshore wind. It's the kind of setup that looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing – a lot of wind and bump for not much reward for a surfer.

Now, here's the real standout. The best of the bunch, and it’s not saying much, lands on Monday the 14th. The swell is small at 3ft out of the NNW with a period of 7 seconds – short period windswell, to be sure. But the energy is weak at 50. The big winner here is the wind. It's a glassy 5 km/h from the ENE. Absolutely glass. For Zandvoort, a North Sea sandbar break that can get a bit of a crowd, that’s a golden ticket. That early morning session on the 14th is the only real call for a clean wave. After that, Tuesday the 15th afternoon also offers a glassy moment with a 4ft WNW swell and a 5 km/h northerly, but the swell period is a short 5 seconds and the energy is only 84. It's a distant second option.

Beyond that, it's back to the wind and chop. By the time we get to the weekend of the 19th and 20th, the swell dies completely – down to 1.0ft and 0.3ft – so you're left with a clean, flat sea. That's a long gap with no real surf on offer.

So, to wrap it up: there's no world-class surf here, but if you're desperate and local, aim for the early morning of Monday, 14 September. Glassy conditions at Zandvoort make it the only window where you can actually enjoy what little push there is. For the rest of it, save your energy and wait for the next system.

Rusty.

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