Surf Forecasts:
Caerhays surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period, SW swell with 50 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Caerhays this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Caerhays in the next 16 days are 0.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Caerhays over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Hey, it's Rusty. Gotta be honest, the surf forecast for the next couple of weeks is a total bummer. It's flat, it's weak, and there's nothing to get excited about. We're looking at a long stretch of nothing before things finally pick up.
From the 18th through the 31st of August, it's a complete washout. Swell heights are almost all under 3 feet, and the energy is just pitiful, with combined energy values in the single and double digits (9, 10, 13). There are some clean days with offshore winds, but with no waves, you're just staring at a flat ocean. It's a big, empty gap with no surf on offer.
Then, around September 1st, things finally get interesting. The first decent push is on Tuesday morning, the 1st, with a new W swell. The height jumps to 5 feet with a period of 9 seconds, and the energy jumps to a strong 503. The wind is onshore from the S, which isn't perfect for Caerhays, but it's better than nothing. The water temp is 66°F, which is a bit warmer than usual for this time of year. This is pushing the upper limits for beginners, though.
Heading into Wednesday, the 2nd, the swell backs off slightly to 4 feet with an SSW direction and a period of 8 seconds. The energy is a moderate 250. The wind is still onshore but light. The waves will be a bit lumpy from the onshore wind, but we finally have something to surf. After all that flatness, the Caerhays (Cornwall) reef will pick up this new swell. The Tuesday morning session on the 1st looks like the pick of the bunch — it’s the first real sign of life after a dead spell. Just expect some onshore chop. It’s not perfect, but after this drought, we’ll take it.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 20°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Wed afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 13°C on Fri afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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) | S 17 | S 17 | S 16 | S 16 | WSW 6 | SW 7 | SW 10 | WSW 10 | SW 8 | WSW 8 | S 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | S 14 | S 13 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 50 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | glassy | on | off |
High Tide | 9:50PM4.16m | 10:12AM3.94m | 10:33PM3.82m | 11:00AM3.66m | 11:27PM3.50m | 12:02PM3.41m | 00:39AM3.25m | 1:20PM3.27m | 1:59AM3.17m | 2:38PM3.31m | 3:13AM3.26m | 3:45PM3.50m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:01PM0.55m | 4:21AM0.70m | 4:38PM0.92m | 4:58AM1.09m | 5:19PM1.29m | 5:40AM1.45m | 6:11PM1.62m | 6:43AM1.73m | 7:41PM1.82m | 8:33AM1.81m | 9:32PM1.71m | 9:59AM1.59m | 10:34PM1.40m | |||||||
 |  | | |  |  | |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — |
mm | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 16 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 17 | S 17 | SW 4 | S 16 | SW 15 | SW 7 | SW 10 | SW 5 | SW 8 | WSW 8 | S 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | S 14 | S 13 |
| kJ | 5 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 18 | 50 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 3 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 8 | S 16 | W 10 | W 10 | WSW 10 | SW 14 | WSW 10 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | E 6 | — | W 8 | W 9 | W 8 |
| kJ | — | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 10 | — | — | S 14 | — | SW 14 | W 10 | — | — | S 12 | S 12 | — | WNW 6 | W 9 | — | — | — | W 12 |
| kJ | — | — | 2 | — | — | 4 | — | 8 | 2 | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 3 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 3 | WSW 4 | — | W 3 | WSW 6 | WNW 3 | NW 3 | — | — | — | — | NNE 3 | — | N 3 | NNE 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 4 | 3 | — | 4 | 13 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 191 | 152 | 54 | 191 | 270 | 157 | 62 | 31 | 25 | 37 | 248 | 270 | 209 | 38 | 41 | 417 | 270 | 427 | 418 | 41 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Cornwall | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Caerhays 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 Caerhays Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Caerhays provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Caerhays can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Caerhays 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 (Caerhays) 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 Caerhays 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.
Caerhays is 13 km (8 miles) from Saint Austell. If you plan a holiday in South Cornwall, look for hotels and other accommodation in Saint Austell. Saint Austell has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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