How do I read a surf forecast?

The forecast page shows a 7-day bar chart of wave heights at 06:00, 12:00, and 18:00 each day. Click any day to expand the hourly breakdown with surf height, quality rating, swell details, and wind conditions.

What do the quality badges mean?

Colour-coded badges (Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, Epic) give a quick sense of conditions. They are calculated from wave height, swell period, wind speed, wind direction, and tide.

What is swell period and why does it matter?

Swell period is the time in seconds between successive wave crests. Longer periods (10s+) mean more powerful, better-organised ground swell, while short periods (under 7s) indicate messy wind swell.

What is the best wind direction for surfing?

Offshore wind (blowing from land to sea) is ideal as it holds up wave faces and creates clean conditions. Onshore wind chops up the surf and makes conditions messy.

Is there a MysticSwell mobile app?

MysticSwell is a progressive web app (PWA). You can add it to your home screen on iOS or Android for an app-like experience by visiting the site in your mobile browser and using 'Add to Home Screen'.

Help Centre - How to Read Surf Forecasts

Q: Where does the forecast data come from?

MysticSwell uses GFS data from NOAA for wave, wind, and weather forecasts. Tide data comes from UK Hydrographic Office sources. AI algorithms process this raw data to produce spot-specific quality ratings.

Q: How do I change units between feet and metres?

Click the 'Units' button in the navigation bar to switch between feet and metres for wave height, and between mph and kph for wind speed.

How to Read Surf Forecasts

Our forecast page shows you everything you need to plan your surf session. Here is what each section means:

7-Day Chart

The bar chart at the top shows wave heights for 06:00, 12:00, and 18:00 each day. Taller bars mean bigger waves. Use this for a quick overview of the week ahead.

Hourly Tables

Click any day to expand the hourly breakdown. Each row shows time, surf height, quality rating, primary swell, secondary swell, and wind conditions.

Quality Badges

Colour-coded badges (Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, Epic) give you a quick sense of conditions. These are calculated from wave height, swell period, wind direction, and more.

Understanding Wave Height

Wave height is measured from trough to crest. MysticSwell shows heights in metres by default, with an option to switch to feet.

Height (ft)	Description	Suitable For
0-1 ft	Flat	Not surfable
1-2 ft	Small	Beginners, longboards
2-4 ft	Fun size	All levels
4-6 ft	Overhead	Intermediate to advanced
6-8 ft	Well overhead	Advanced surfers
8+ ft	Large	Expert surfers only

Swell Period Explained

Swell period (measured in seconds) is the time between successive wave crests. Longer periods mean more powerful, better-organised waves.

Period	Type	Quality
1-6s	Wind swell	Messy, weak waves
7-10s	Mixed swell	Moderate, improving quality
10-14s	Ground swell	Clean, powerful waves
14s+	Long-period ground swell	Best quality, powerful and well-defined

Wind Conditions

Wind direction relative to the beach is crucial for surf quality:

Offshore Wind

Blowing from land to sea. Holds up wave faces, creating clean conditions. This is the ideal wind for surfing.

Cross-shore Wind

Blowing along the beach. Can create bumpy conditions but is still surfable. Look for sheltered spots.

Onshore Wind

Blowing from sea to land. Chops up wave faces, making conditions messy. Strong onshore winds make surfing difficult.

Surf Quality Ratings

MysticSwell uses an AI algorithm to rate surf quality from 0 to 10 stars, considering wave height, swell period, wind speed, wind direction, and tide.

Poor

0-2 stars. Very small or blown-out conditions. Not ideal for surfing.

Fair

3-4 stars. Surfable but not great. May be small, windy, or short period.

Good

5-6 stars. Solid conditions. Decent waves with manageable wind.

Very Good

7-8 stars. Great session ahead. Clean waves, good period, light wind.

Epic

9-10 stars. Exceptional conditions. Drop everything and go surfing!

Using MysticSwell

How do I add favourite spots?

Navigate to any forecast page and tap the star button in the bottom-right corner. You can also visit the Favourites page to manage your saved spots.

How do I change units (feet/metres)?

Click the "Units" button in the navigation bar to switch between feet and metres for wave height, and between mph and kph for wind speed.

How often are forecasts updated?

Forecasts are updated multiple times daily using the latest GFS (Global Forecast System) data from NOAA. The "Last Updated" bar on each forecast page shows when data was last refreshed.

How do I find a specific surf spot?

Use the search bar at the top of any page, or browse the Spots page for an interactive map. You can also use the "Jump to Spot" selector on the forecast page.

Where does the data come from?

MysticSwell uses GFS (Global Forecast System) data from NOAA for wave, wind, and weather forecasts. Tide data comes from UK Hydrographic Office sources. Our AI algorithms process this raw data to produce spot-specific quality ratings.

Is there a mobile app?

MysticSwell is a progressive web app (PWA). You can add it to your home screen on iOS or Android for an app-like experience. Just visit the site in your mobile browser and use "Add to Home Screen".

Help Centre