Surf Forecasts:
Birling Gap surf forecast from 16 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 6s period, SW swell with 237 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Birling Gap this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Birling Gap in the next 16 days are 1.8m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Thu 17th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Birling Gap over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ at Birling Gap.
Well, I gotta be straight with you – this outlook is a tough one. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but for the first two weeks, it’s pretty much a write-off. The surf is just not there. From Wednesday the 16th of September all the way through to Tuesday the 29th of September, it’s a long, flat spell. You’ll see tiny little bumps, 0.3ft to 2.6ft, but with poor conditions and weak combined swell energy mostly in the single or low double digits (like 5, 7, or 25), there’s nothing worth paddling out for. The wind is howling from the wrong directions, or it’s just dead, and what little swell there is has a short period, barely cracking 6 seconds. It’s just no good.
The only glimmer of hope, and I mean the *only* one, shows up right at the tail end of the period. On Wednesday the 30th of September, things finally wake up. We get a pulse of 5.9ft to 6.6ft SSW swell, and here’s the kicker – the winds go offshore from the ENE. That’s clean, that’s groomed. The combined swell energy jumps to 301, and by the afternoon it’s up to a strong 783. That’s proper energy. Now, this swell is a bit punchy with a period of 7 seconds, and with that offshore breeze it’s gonna be clean but a real challenge to get into. This is expert territory, not for the faint of heart. It’s a one-day stand-out, and it’s a long way off, so you gotta keep an eye on it.
So, for the next two weeks, save your wax. But if the forecast holds for that Wednesday the 30th, and you’re a solid surfer, it might just be worth the wait.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Wed afternoon, strong winds from the WSW by Thu morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 17°C on Sat afternoon). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Sat morning, calm by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | Monday 21 | Tuesday 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 6 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | WSW 4 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 4 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 3 | W 11 | S 19 | SW 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 25 | 14 | 23 | 160 | 175 | 77 | 23 | 35 | 134 | 159 | 223 | 97 | 26 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 10 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | on | off | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 3:01PM5.90m | 3:19AM5.62m | 3:36PM5.45m | 3:55AM5.16m | 4:14PM4.98m | 4:38AM4.69m | 5:03PM4.54m | 5:40AM4.29m | 6:22PM4.22m | 7:29AM4.14m | 8:17PM4.26m | 9:06AM4.42m | 9:30PM4.63m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:23PM1.05m | 9:39AM1.26m | 10:00PM1.45m | 10:20AM1.69m | 10:48PM1.85m | 11:14AM2.08m | 11:52PM2.18m | 12:28PM2.34m | 1:14AM2.30m | 1:54PM2.36m | 2:36AM2.14m | 3:11PM2.10m | 3:41AM1.78m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — |
 | — | 7:12 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:05 | — | — | 7:02 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:58 | — |
mm | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 16 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 6 | — | SW 11 | — | — | — | — | W 13 | — | — | — | SW 11 | WSW 5 | SW 11 | WSW 4 | WSW 6 | — | WSW 3 | W 6 | W 6 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 25 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | 5 | 26 | 4 | 5 | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 11 | — | SW 6 | W 11 | — | SW 6 | W 11 | S 19 | SW 12 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 7 | 5 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 11 | — | — | — | — | W 13 | W 6 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 3 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | WSW 4 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | — | WSW 5 | W 3 | — | WSW 6 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 3 | 14 | 23 | 160 | 175 | 77 | 23 | 35 | 134 | 159 | 223 | 97 | — | 17 | 4 | — | 7 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 100 | 92 | 248 | 358 | 442 | 316 | 358 | 442 | 358 | 338 | 112 | 320 | 174 | 368 | 290 | 191 | 191 | 191 | 191 | 165 | 193 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Coast of England | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Birling Gap surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
Information about the Birling Gap Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Birling Gap provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Birling Gap can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Birling Gap 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 (Birling Gap) 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 Birling Gap 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 South Coast of England? If you are looking for accommodation near Birling Gap, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in South Coast of England, consider staying in Seaford which is 8 km (5 miles) away. Other places in and around South Coast of England where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Newhaven which is 12 km (7 miles) away, Hailsham, Eastbourne and Herstmonceux.
Nearest