Predicting when and where the best waves are going to be in any given area has always been a challenge. Traditionally the most useful tool has been the surface pressure chart which shows the position and progress of HIGH and LOW pressure systems which represent the wind and in turn the swell. This is a fail safe method only for the experienced surf forecaster and the increasing popularity of the internet has led to the more wide use of previously inaccessible information which help to predict swell more easily.

The aim of this site is to bring together relevant web resources, up to the minute shots, and a guide to Jersey's spots to enable the user to know exactly where and when to go surfing. The 3 factors to consider before you leave are SWELL, TIDE and WIND.

SWELL usually refers to groundswell which is caused by storms out in the North Atlantic. This swell turns to waves once it hits our beaches. A 2-3ft groundswell will generally produce 'headhigh' waves on the beach. Unfortunately this can be misread because when the various charts show 2-3ft, they do not take into account the various obstacles the swell must get around before it hits the beach. Such a swell will be more like 1-2ft by the time it reaches StOuen's Bay resulting in 'waisthigh' waves. Perhaps as important as swell size is wavelength. a 6 second gap between waves will produce unpowerful inconsistent surf whereas a 9+ second gap will produce organised powerful surf.

The WAM models shows an estimate of wave heights in the North Atlantic for the coming week. The first is faster to download but only shows as far east as Ireland. The second is much more detailed but is considerably slower. [WAM]  [WAMIII]

For actual swell heights, periods and other observations, the buoy centre is a good source of info. If the swell appears to be aimed at us on the WAM model, we can track the course of the arriving swell as it hits the [k1] and [Channel] buoys. The page can be adjusted to display in feet (English)

Jerseys maximum 40ft tidal range means on smaller swells you can only surf half the day. Even in perfect conditions you need to know at what stage and how big the tide is. This Link shows tabulated tide and daylight timetables for Jersey's Capital StHelier. For a full guide to where to surf on what tide, check out our guide to Jersey's [spots].

Wind circulates anticlockwise around LOW pressure systems generating swell in all directions. On a surface pressure chart, the closer together the isobars, the stronger the wind. The longer that wind is pointing at us, the bigger the swell becomes. The further away the swell is generated, the longer the wavelength and the more lined up the swell is.

If you've found this site though, why get confused looking at synopsis charts? The wind will affect the waves locally and make them choppy if it blows onshore (SW-NW) which makes surfing difficult. Winds from the East will give clean conditions throughout StOuen's Bay. Similarly, the South coast requires winds from the North whereas the North coast needs Southerlies. Jersey Met Office gives an accurate forecast and observations updated every 6 hours while the UK Met Office provide a wealth of information on the region's weather.

This Site, as well as having up to the minute surf images, is designed to be a useful portal to other forecasting resources. These Links are to public domain sites which anyone can access but are subject to the terms and conditions stated on their sites. The information in this instance is used as an indication as to how the current weather conditions might be and shouldn't be used as a guarantee of safety.

Unless otherwise stated, all the photography in this site was provided by Colin Crowther. Other sites of interest include:
[Atlantic Waves] - Surfing school, equipment hire mob:07797 718150
[Laneez Surf Shop] - West suits, Matt Manners surfboards
[Channel Island Surf Federation]
[Jersey Surfboard Club]
[Jersey Longboard Club]
[SJ's Surf Prediction] - Surf resources and links