The science (luck) of predicting good surf kayaking in Hastings!
surf report © magicseaweed.com

OUR BEACH WORKS BEST MID TIDE! (it is also better when the tide is coming in for obvious reasons). To get surf on our beach we need to have had some active weather conditions as we rarely get "Ground Swell". The trick to forecasting surf on our beach is to watch for very *windy  days and then check the forecast for when the winds just start to back off (which generally happens when you are at work or at school!) *(stormy - the more coastal area the wind covers the better). "See "A Great Weekend" in "Archive" for an example of a good days surfing". When through luck or judgment you get the timing right, you can expect regular wave faces of between 2 and 5 feet [plus] depending on how good the previous storm was!  "You could also consider going out in the middle of the storm if you enjoy the occasional good beating or two ... but you won't do much in the way of surfing!" The best days on our beach are created by the unusual "local" weather patterns of Low Pressure, High pressure ... followed quickly by Low Pressure (basically: an overcast cool morning [rain] followed by a hot sunny afternoon, followed by another cool overcast morning [or visa versa]). The more extreme and closer together the pressure differences are, and the longer these fluctuations continue, the better the surf becomes. The reason for this is that these pressure fluctuations effectively "pump" the ocean surface and can pretty much replicate ground swell creating clean wave sets.

		The biggest waves we will ever get are "BEACH DUMPERS" (around high tide) - these can be huge - can be paddled and can be fun - but don't complain if you break something ... Paddle, Boat OR Yourself! ... Check Birling Gap on Magicseaweed for the most reliable prediction of surf on our beach. http://magicseaweed.com/Birling-Gap

Handy weather links:
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk http://www.bbc.co.uk http://www.hastings.gov.uk/tides/default.aspx http://www.accuweather.com