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For information on the origins and interpretation of my reports, update problems go to the bottom of this page.

For a look at my local waves today visit The "Soul's Hole" Woolacombe Surf Camera

This updates every 20 minutes and keeps an archive of recent pictures marked with the times that they were taken. Checking out the archives is vitally important to help judge the conditions on a fixed timed web camera. Don't just rely on the latest picture, it may have been taken during a lull or a big set. Remember too this camera is continually adjusted to match the daylight hours and during the long summer days and therefore gets updated earlier in the day than most other cameras. It also keeps its record and unlike the live cameras can tell you what todays waves were like in the evening when you get home from work.

I have been frequently asked why the sky and sea at the top of the picture sometimes looks unnaturally dark. This is because in he winter the camera looks directly at the sun in the afternoon and the sky is often very bright with clouds at other times. This can cause the beach and waves in the foreground to be very dark and difficult to see. So, as a compromise I have fitted a polarising filter to the camera. This deliberately makes the top of the picture darker and helps to protect the image chip from the full power of the sun. This means that when the sky is blue or it is dull the picture can look rather dark at the top.

I greatly appreciate surf reports from anywhere in the country and in particular the less frequented spots. They help me to build up my experience of the waves because I am a real person and not a computer programme (like some other sites!). You are welcome to post them on our bulletin board or email me directly.

New page format. I hope you like the extra information presented on the Woolacombe surf camera pages. This is extracted directly from someof the information I use to make my forecasts. However it is important to remember that this refers to data at wavebuoys out at sea and needs a bit of interpretation to turn it into what you would expect the waves to be on a local beach. Notably the wave height is often stated as much larger than a typical surfer would measure on the beach. I am preparing some extra information that will go at the bottom of this page to help you with this.

Monday 12th May 2008

BRITISH ISLES Surf Prospects 12 - 22 May 2008

It's a "What you see is what you get" week

GENERAL SITUATION
Pressure is quite high and rather flat over most of the North Atlantic and Western Europe. Winds are generally light and detailed forecasts unpredictable but it's quite nice and summery with an increasing risk of showers and Thunderstorms. There is a small westerly Atlantic groundswell and a small northerly swell for the north sea

SOUTH WEST AND WALES (and south western Ireland)
Generally rather small to flat. There could be a bit of an improvement early next week but don.t expect much. Make the most of the weak waves by chosing the best spots and tide times. Good tourist fun waves but the sea is still quite cold.

EAST COAST (Thurso area, use this and Far NW )
Very small to flat. There's a chance of a few small northerly swells on monday and tuesday and again around friday that may show at the best spots if you're lucky.

FAR NORTH WEST OF SCOTLAND AND IRELAND
Small south westerly swells for west coasts. mayme some small noortherly swells for north coasts

CHANNEL COAST (east of Start Point)
Very small to flat all week.

Activities and Comments
Had a great barbecue at Woolacombe on Sunday and watched others on the tiny waves while we walked on the beack.

Friday 9th May 2008

BRITISH ISLES Surf Prospects 9 - 19 May 2008

It now looks likely to stay very small to flat everywhere for at least a week!

GENERAL SITUATION
The lows out in the Atlantic are not generating much in the way of waves in our direction and High pressure looks likely to stick around for at least a week so generally the forecast is very small to flat.

SOUTH WEST AND WALES (and south western Ireland)
Generally rather small to flat. There could be a bit of an improvement early next week but dont expect much. Make the most of the weak waves by chosing the best spots and tide times.

EAST COAST (Thurso area, use this and Far NW )
Very small to flat. There's a chance of a few small northerly swells at the weekend that may show at the best spots if you're lucky.

FAR NORTH WEST OF SCOTLAND AND IRELAND
Swells fading to flat on Friday. Small south westerly windwaves developing at the weekend and a new small sized westerly swell should come in next week. This area is most likely to be affected by lows out in the Atlantic bringing more showery weather.

CHANNEL COAST (east of Start Point)
Very small to flat all week.

Activities and Comments
Out French visitors fancy the seaside so it looks likely that we are going there on Sunday.

Wednesday 7th May 2008

BRITISH ISLES Surf Prospects 7 - 17 May 2008

The next new westerly swell will arrive around next monday!

GENERAL SITUATION
High pressure dominates most of the British Isles for the next ten days but lows out in the Atlantic can affect the west coasts from time to time. The current swells are slowly fading and it will be almost flat on Friday a new swell should develop later on Sunday and Monday.

SOUTH WEST AND WALES (and south western Ireland)
Generally rather small to flat. The south westerly swells will slowly fade to become almost flat by Friday and it looks likely to stay that way for most of the weekend except for the possibility of any windwaves. A new small to medium westerly swell should Start to build late on Sunday and last a couple of days before fading again. Make the most of the weak waves by chosing the best spots and tide times.

EAST COAST (Thurso area, use this and Far NW )
Very small yo flat. There's a chance of a few small northerly swells at the weekend that may show at the best spots if you're lucky.

FAR NORTH WEST OF SCOTLAND AND IRELAND
Swells fading to flat on Friday. Small south westerly windwaves developing at the weekend and a new medium sized westerly swell should come in next week. This area is most likely to be affected by lows out in the atlantic bringing more showery weather.

CHANNEL COAST (east of Start Point)
Very small to flat all week.

Activities and Comments
No seaside plans this weekend except for a coach trip to Dunster and Lynmouth with our French visitors.

If you want to ask me a question or submit a report please go to our Bulletin board pages via the link above. Remember you can also send a private message there if you don't want to go public with conditions at a secret spot or feel that the question is not of general interest. I am usually quite happy to explain the way I work and make my forecasts. There's nothing secret about it and at some time in the future we will need to find another "soulsurfer" to replace me when I get too gaga to continue :-)

British Conditions

As a former regular surfing commuter, for more than fifteen years I have been looking at the weather charts, wave buoys and other information on a daily basis. Using this to form my own opinion as to local surfing prospects. I would strongly advise all surfers to do this. More than ten years ago I started sharing these opinions with others by posting them up on the Swansea Surf page.

I received such a positive interest that I extended my comments to cover the whole of the British Isles. The main aim was directed at helping the many inland surfers with a wide choice, to decide where to go to surf for the weekend or whether it was worth the effort of making the journey. I am now fully retired and (in theory) I have more time to study the surf and weather but am busier than ever with all sorts of voluntary activities to distract me.

Interpretation

The forecasts are largely self explanatory but frequently need to be read as a group to appreciate all the detail. The latest forecast is at the top of the list with earlier ones below. Monday's takes a brief look back to check how right last week's forecast was. It then gives a review of the broad pattern to be expected for the coming week. Wednesday's looks ahead to the weekend in more detail. Friday's reviews Wednesdays only for changes in the pattern and looks ahead to the following week.

Sometimes the weather is stable and predictable other times it can be very variable and unpredictable I also try to indicate if the forecast is unreliable and what the results of likely deviations would be.

Size and Quality

The measurement of waves and surf quality is a vexed question and there is a lot of false Macho attitude "the bigger the better" around. This in my experience is not true for most people. There are also those who suggest that unless the surf is peeling perfectly and glassy smooth it is no good. Good medium sized surf in my book is usually in the range of 2-3ft with moderate winds either on, cross or offshore and cleanish faces. In other words the sort of stuff that comes around quite frequently and not just classic days. Small surf is in the 1-2ft region but should be rideable by most (if you can't ride this sort of surf your board is too small!) large surf is in the 4-6ft range and gets scary. If I think that the surf is going to be particularly good I will indicate it clearly for those who only go to the coast for special days.

Swells and windwaves.

I frequently use these two terms when describing waves and have been asked to explain them for the beginner. Swells are the product of winds acting over a long distance and are usually of longer period say 9 seconds or longer. They also tend to come in sets of waves, Windwaves are generated by local winds and are usually shorter period but can get into the 9 second plus range if the winds are very strong. They are very jumbled up with waves of different period passing through each other. Windwaves can come onto a coast with very little wind if the conditions are right so don't assume that it is always windy if I describe windwaves (although it often is) Remember also several swells can come into a beach at the same time creating a rather confused wave pattern.

Disclaimers

We all get it wrong sometimes and my own worst critic is very close to me in the form of the Soulmate (my wife!) Even if we don't surf, almost every weekend we try to watch the waves somewhere and this helps me to calibrate my forecasts against observation, but we can only see a limited number of beaches so feedback of what you found on your surfing trips is very valuable.

Finally there is only one of me and although I am kitted out to access the web almost anywhere and at any time sometimes holidays will prevent me from updating this on time but I will try to warn you of this and make allowances in my forecasts.