Surf the best waves, learn to read the Surf forecast!
The surf forecast will tell you about wave size, period between waves, wind and tides. All these factors effect the waves. Read a short explanation about the factors and how they effect the surf below. When all the factors are in your favor you can find the perfect waves, for your level. Reading the forecast in combination with your experience with the spot will give you the best opportunity to predict and score quality surf!
Wave height
When you look at the surf forecast the first thing you see is the wave size in (meters or ft.) The combination of wave size and period (in seconds) tells you about the power and size of the waves. The period is the time between two set waves. The bigger the period the more organized and more powerful the wave is. Look at the direction so you can image how the waves will reach the surf spot; head on (more powerful) or via an angle (less powerful). Wave size, period and direction is called swell. Some surf forecast websites even calculate the energy of the waves, just to make it even easier to read.
Wind
One of the most important things in the forecast is the wind. Windy conditions effect the waves a lot. Always check the wind power and direction… Off-shore wind is perfect for barrels and clean conditions, on-shore wind creates more chaotic and a bit choppy conditions with more peeling/rolling waves. Side shore wind can create more current. You want as less wind as possible. So the waves won’t get disturbed. I would say go until max 30km/h wind. After it is too much of a struggle anyways.
Tides
The tides will effect how the waves break. With high tide there is more water at the beach and over the sandbar/reef. With high tide the wave might be more mellow. While with low tide the wave might be more punchy, because there sandbar/reef is more shallow. Some spots work better with high tide, Mid tide or low tide. Just walk on the beach with different tides and see how that effect the waves. But also the swell size and period will effect what tide works best. With full moon and new moon the Tide differences are extreme, thigh tide is extra high and low tide is extra low. while with half moon the tide differences are minimum. The time between high and low tide is around 6 hours and 15 minutes. So every day the tide moves +/- 1 hour
Where can you find the surf forecast?
Some examples of surf forecast websites and apps.
Ocean floor
The ocean floor can be a sand bottom, reef or rocks. A sand bottom might change after a storm (or big swell) and even move during a week or month. Rocks and reef are more consistent and the wave breaks on the same place. How powerful the wave is also depends on how deep the water is before it hits the sandbank, or reef/rocks. Every spot is different some are more suitable for beginners, some more for intermediate or advanced surfers…. Again depending on swell, size wind and direction.
Skill level
Finally your skill level an beginner surfer might enjoy a mellow peeling wave or white-water and likes 0.5 meter 8 seconds and a little on-shore breeze at the beach-break. While an experienced surfer is looking for a 2 meter 15 second swell off-shore wind on a reef break.
Pro tip
Ask a local surfer or local surf school for advise, where and when to surf, according to your level, swell size, wind direction and tides.
A map of high and low pressure systems by windy.com. very helpful for advanced surf forecasting.
Easy to read and also shows the wave-energy and off-shore/ side shore calculated for the chosen surfspot
The surf forecast via www.windguru.com
One of the best websites for accurate wind prediction, one of the favorites for wind- and kite- surfers
