The effect of offshore wind turbines on the swell reaching Kent surf beaches is not significant enough to cause a noticeable reduction in wave quality. Offshore wind farms are designed to harness wind energy, not to act as barriers for ocean waves. However, they can have a small impact on local wave conditions, and it has been reported by Kent surfers that they have seen a change in power and swell.
When a wind farm is installed, the wind turbines do interact with wind patterns and can cause small-scale turbulence in the immediate vicinity of the farm. This effect is limited to a relatively small area around the wind turbines, and the impact on wave energy and swell propagation dissipates as waves travel away from the farm.
It is unlikely that a wind farm located several miles offshore would significantly reduce the swell reaching the surf beaches of Kent or other coastal areas. Swell is generated by large-scale weather systems and propagates across distances, so the localised effects of a wind farm would likely be minimal. While it’s possible that an offshore wind farm in Kent could slightly alter the local wave climate, the effect would likely be very small and not noticeable to surfers in theory.
In conclusion, Kent’s offshore wind turbines do not have a significant impact on the swell reaching Kent surf beaches, and any effect they might have would likely be negligible.