Surf Forecasts:
Brighton surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 6s period, WSW swell with 233 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Brighton this week:
The surf forecast for Brighton over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Brighton in the next 16 days are 1.8m 6s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 3s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Brighton over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you—this isn't a classic run for Brighton, that's for sure. Over the next 16 days, we're looking at a mostly grim picture with only a few fleeting moments that might get you out of bed. The water's sitting at 69°, which is a whopping 6° warmer than usual for this time of year—that's really unusual, so you won't need a thick wetsuit.
The first window of any real interest starts on Monday afternoon, 31 August. There's a 5 ft swell from the WSW with a short, weak period of 6 seconds and combined energy of 187 (moderate), but the wind is a fresh cross-shore from the WSW at 19 mph, making for lumpy, cross-chop conditions. It's messy, and the rating is poor. Honestly, not worth paddling out for.
The next few days are even worse. Tuesday (1 September) to Friday (4 September) see tiny swells, mostly under 3 ft, with short periods and fresh, cross-onshore winds that chop everything up. The combined energy stays low—between 10 and 209—and the surf is consistently poor. Thursday (3 September) morning pushes up to 5 ft from the WSW (6-second period, energy 119), but with a fresh cross-onshore, it's just lumpy and uninviting.
Then comes a brief glimmer. Saturday morning, 5 September, the wind swings light offshore from the N at 6 mph, and the conditions are described as clean. The swell is tiny—only 1 ft from the WSW, with a period of 9 seconds and energy of just 24 (weak). It's clean, but there's virtually no wave to ride. Brighton is inconsistent, and this shows it.
Sunday (6 September) through to Tuesday (8 September) are mostly blown out again, with cross-onshore winds and chop. A couple of clean moments pop up on Monday morning (7 September) and Tuesday morning (8 September) with light offshore winds, but the swell is insignificant—0.3 ft and 2 ft respectively.
Wednesday (9 September) turns ugly. A near gale from the SW at 31 mph brings a 6 ft swell from the WSW (7-second period, energy 455—strong), but it's blown out. The wave comment says "poor surf conditions." For kite surfers, this might be more interesting than paddle surfing.
The rest of the forecast is a dud. From Thursday (10 September) onward, the swells are tiny—mostly under 2 ft—with short periods and cross-onshore or cross-offshore winds that don't deliver. Even the clean moments on Friday (11 September) and Saturday (12 September) mornings have barely any swell (0.7 ft to 2 ft). The last week is a write-off: tiny waves, often from the wrong direction, and winds that chop or blow it out.
The standout? If you're desperate, Saturday morning (5 September) offers the cleanest conditions with that light offshore wind, but you'll be bobbing on 1 ft waves. It's more of a promise than a real session. Otherwise, this is a blank run for Brighton—it's a spot that's inconsistent, and this stretch proves it. Forecasts can change, but for now, leave the board in the car.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Thu night, light winds from the WSW by Sat morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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 6 | W 5 | WSW 3 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 9 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 3 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 187 | 62 | 21 | 7 | 16 | 7 | 30 | 75 | 119 | 154 | 123 | 209 | 190 | 40 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 9 | 4 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | off | off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross |
High Tide | 2:17AM5.72m | 2:37PM5.75m | 2:54AM5.57m | 3:16PM5.54m | 3:35AM5.30m | 3:58PM5.22m | 4:22AM4.94m | 4:49PM4.83m | 5:21AM4.55m | 5:56PM4.46m | 6:44AM4.26m | 7:29PM4.30m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:09PM0.36m | 8:24AM0.27m | 8:45PM0.48m | 9:02AM0.49m | 9:25PM0.71m | 9:45AM0.81m | 10:13PM1.02m | 10:38AM1.19m | 11:16PM1.34m | 11:51AM1.54m | 00:39AM1.56m | 1:20PM1.69m | 2:08AM1.51m | |||||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | 7:49 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 22 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | SW 9 | W 9 | — | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | SW 7 | W 7 | W 9 |
| kJ | — | 62 | 16 | 3 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 40 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 9 | SW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 9 | SW 9 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 6 |
| kJ | — | 22 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 6 | NNW 3 | W 5 | WSW 3 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | NNW 3 | — | — | — | SE 4 | SE 4 | ESE 3 |
| kJ | 187 | 1 | 21 | 7 | 16 | 7 | 30 | 75 | 119 | 154 | 123 | 209 | 190 | 1 | — | — | — | 14 | 9 | 4 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 328 | 0 | 74 | 237 | 322 | 454 | 348 | 348 | 350 | 121 | 421 | 406 | 74 | 181 | 181 | 181 | 234 | 181 | 161 | 420 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Coast of England | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Brighton Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Brighton provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Brighton can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Brighton 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 (Brighton) 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 Brighton 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.
Brighton is 1 km (1 miles) from the city of Rottingdean. If you plan a holiday in South Coast of England, look for hotels and other accommodation in Rottingdean. Rottingdean has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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