Surf Forecasts:
Aberavon surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period, WSW swell with 197 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 8s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Aberavon this week:
The surf forecast for Aberavon over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Aberavon in the next 16 days are 1.4m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Aberavon over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get the whole picture sorted. The next couple of weeks are pretty flat and grim, to be honest. There’s a whole lot of waiting around for the ocean to wake up. The first bit of any real hope doesn’t show until the very end of the month, and even then, it’s nothing to write home about. We’re looking at a long stretch of small, junky waves for the most part.
The week starts with almost nothing. Sunday, the 16th, has just a tiny 1ft ripple that’s glassy in the morning, but it’s not rideable. The wind picks up, and things get messy and choppy. Monday and Tuesday are the same story – waves around 0.6ft to 4ft, but the wind is cross or cross-onshore, making a mess of everything. The energy is weak, with readings in the low double digits, like 25. It’s not surf, it’s just bump.
Things stay poor through the middle of the week. There’s a bit more size on Wednesday and Thursday, with the swell getting up to 4ft, but the wind is blowing fresh and onshore, making it lumpy and horrible. The energy picks up to a moderate 135 by Thursday, but the quality is just not there. It’s all about the wind, and it’s just not our friend.
Friday the 21st is the first glimpse of something cleaner. The swell drops back to 2ft, and the morning has a light cross-offshore wind, cleaning it up with a 9-second period. It looks clean, but it’s still tiny, too small to really do anything with. The energy is weak at 39. We need more push.
The weekend sees the swell continue to fade. Saturday and Sunday have offshore winds, but the waves are only 0.6ft to 1ft. It’s clean, but flat. There’s just no power in the water, and the energy readings drop to as low as 16. You could almost stand on the sandbar and not get your ankles wet.
The start of the next week is more of the same. Monday the 24th sees a long-period groundswell of 14 seconds, but it’s only 0.3ft. The period is there, but the height isn’t. It’s a tease. All that energy, and nowhere to go. The offshore wind keeps it looking clean, but it’s a total flat spell.
This flatness carries right through until the 27th. There are days with clean conditions and light winds, but the swell stays tiny, around 0.3ft to 0.6ft. The energy is basically non-existent, down to 1 or 2. It’s dead.
Finally, on Friday the 28th, things start to shift. The forecast shows a pulse of swell arriving, lifting the waves to 5ft with a 9-second period from the WSW. The energy jumps significantly to 646, which is the first strong reading we’ve seen all fortnight. The morning wind is a moderate cross-offshore breeze, so it could be clean. This is the standout window. The swell direction matches what Aberavon (Wales) wants, from the SW. The tide and other conditions are questionable, according to the forecast, so it’s not a guarantee, but it’s the only real chance for a wave. With it being over 5ft, it’s not for the faint of heart, but for the experienced surfer, this could be the one to get out for.
After that, things drop off again quickly. Saturday the 29th sees the size fade back down to 2ft, and the wind turns onshore again. The energy drops right back to 68. The chance was brief, and it’s gone.
So, there you have it. A long, flat period with one promising pulse of swell on the 28th. Keep your eyes on that forecast, as it’s our only shot. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat night, fresh winds from the W by Tue afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Wed morning, light winds from the N by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | W 4 | WSW 7 | W 5 | W 5 | W 7 | W 6 | WSW 6 | W 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 6 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
11 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 25 | 14 | 110 | 76 | 39 | 66 | 94 | 197 | 127 | 107 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 9 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 9:28AM8.81m | 9:46PM8.92m | 10:05AM8.42m | 10:23PM8.37m | 10:42AM7.89m | 11:01PM7.71m | 11:20AM7.29m | 11:41PM7.01m | 12:02PM6.68m | 00:29AM6.36m | 12:58PM6.13m | 1:37AM5.86m | 2:22PM5.81m | 3:14AM5.73m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:30PM0.39m | 3:53AM0.56m | 4:06PM0.80m | 4:27AM1.07m | 4:42PM1.34m | 5:03AM1.67m | 5:21PM1.95m | 5:44AM2.30m | 6:08PM2.56m | 6:35AM2.87m | 7:12PM3.07m | 7:52AM3.27m | 8:46PM3.30m | ||||||||
6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
— | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 5 | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 6 |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | W 4 | — | WSW 7 | — | W 17 | W 17 | SW 16 | — | SW 16 | W 7 | SW 14 | W 6 | W 9 | W 13 | W 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 10 |
11 | 10 | 5 | 3 | — | 10 | — | 6 | 6 | 11 | — | 10 | 127 | 8 | 39 | 39 | 3 | 23 | 14 | 6 | 9 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | WSW 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 16 | SW 15 | — | SW 14 | — | — | SW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 10 | SW 15 |
— | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 8 | — | 8 | — | — | 6 | 5 | 9 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | — |
— | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 9 | 9 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 4 | — | W 5 | W 5 | W 7 | W 6 | WSW 6 | W 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | — | W 7 | — | — | W 9 | — | ENE 3 | E 3 | ENE 2 |
— | — | 4 | — | 25 | 14 | 110 | 76 | 39 | 66 | 94 | 197 | — | 107 | — | — | 39 | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 287 | 428 | 235 | 331 | 323 | 416 | 331 | 323 | 323 | 367 | 376 | 367 | 367 | 311 | 13 | 200 | 200 | 200 | 216 | 168 | 85 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Wales - South East | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Aberavon Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Aberavon provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Aberavon can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Aberavon surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Aberavon) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Aberavon may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Are you planning a holiday in Wales - South East? If you are looking for accommodation near Aberavon, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Wales - South East, consider staying in Briton Ferry which is 4 km (2 miles) away. Other places in and around Wales - South East where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Neath Abbey which is 7 km (4 miles) away, Neath, Swansea and Clydach.











