Church Cove Surf Break

Lat Long: 50.04° N 5.27° W

Church Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 am 17 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Church Cove sea temperature is
19.3° C
2.2° 

Church Cove surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Church Cove surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, W swell with 780 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period with W swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Church Cove this week:

The surf forecast for Church Cove over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Church Cove in the next 16 days are 2.3m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 7PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10PM (Thu 20th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 9s
Best Surf10PM (Thu 20th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 9s
Most Powerful 4AM (Thu 20th Aug)7.5ft (2.3m) 9s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Church Cove over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, let’s get real about the surf for the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a rough patch, to be honest. We’ve got a long stretch of onshore and cross-shore winds messing with what little swell we have for the first few days. Then it goes super tiny. But hold on, there’s a serious pulse of energy forecast for the back half of next week that could turn things interesting, even if the wind is going to be the main character.

The first few days are a write-off. From Monday the 17th through Thursday the 20th, we’re looking at waves in the 3ft to 7ft range, but it’s all being chopped up by moderate to fresh WNW winds. The energy is weak to moderate (96-752), and the periods are short, mostly 6-8 seconds. It’s going to be lumpy and messy, more frustration than fun. This is not the time to be paddling out at Church Cove (Big Island). The water temp is about average for this time of year, but with the wind, you won’t notice.

Finally, on Friday the 21st, the wind drops right out. We get an early morning E light air, making it clean. The swell is still small, 3ft from the W with an 8 second period, so it’s weak energy (158). It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for the fun ones. It’s a small window of clean conditions, so if you’re desperate, that’s your chance.

Then the bottom falls out. From Saturday the 22nd through Tuesday the 26th morning, it’s tiny. We’re talking 0.5ft to 2ft waves with hardly any energy (27-74). There are some nice offshore winds in there, especially Sunday and Monday, but with that little swell, it’s not worth getting wet. This is a real lull, so go get your gear sorted.

But things are about to get wild. The afternoon of Wednesday the 26th sees a big jump in energy to 1005, with a 10ft swell from the WSW. Problem is, it’s coming with a 30 km/h cross-onshore and it’ll be lumpy as all get out. Then, Thursday the 27th is the standout, but only for the brave. The combined energy goes through the roof – 3508 in the morning and a massive 7412 in the afternoon. We’re talking 10ft to 12ft of W swell with a long 12-13 second period. This is serious groundswell. That long period will make it areal freight train at a spot like Church Cove, which is fairly exposed to SW but this is coming from the W. It might be breaking too straight, and with that fresh cross-onshore wind, it’s going to be a beast. This is only for experts. For most of us, it’s a spectator day.

After that, it settles down a bit. Friday the 28th and into the weekend, we see the swell drop back to 3ft-6ft, but the W winds stick around, keeping it lumpy. The energy fades too (124-592). We’re back to ordinary. The forecast for the first few days of September shows a couple of bigger pulses but with strong winds and rain in the mix, so it’s still not looking great. The longer-range stuff on the 31st and the 1st has some size (7ft-8ft) but the winds are onshore and strong. It’s promising in size but not in quality.

So, if you’re looking for that one true standout, it’s the 27th, but you better be on your A-game and have a board you don’t mind abusing. For everyone else, keep an eye on the forecast, because this blank run can’t last forever.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Some drizzle, heaviest during Wed morning. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 17°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Wed night, calm by Fri morning).

Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.8
WNW
6
1
W
8
1
W
7
1.2
W
6
1.3
W
6
1.4
WNW
7
1.6
W
8
1.8
W
8
2.2
W
8
2.1
W
9
1.9
W
9
1.4
W
9
1
W
8
0.9
W
8
0.6
NW
8
0.4
WSW
10
0.5
W
10
0.4
WSW
9
0.4
WSW
9
0.4
W
9
0.2
SSW
14
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
50
121
92
115
135
186
300
367
698
731
601
325
136
103
36
36
47
28
27
25
20
Wind (km/h)
20
WNW
25
WNW
25
W
25
WNW
30
WNW
25
WNW
25
WNW
35
W
35
W
25
WNW
30
NW
10
NNW
5
E
15
N
20
NNE
15
NE
10
E
15
NE
15
NNE
15
N
20
NNE
Wind State
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
High Tide
8:26AM4.54m
8:45PM4.58m
9:06AM4.28m
9:25PM4.22m
9:47AM3.98m
10:10PM3.84m
10:36AM3.66m
11:06PM3.49m
11:42AM3.40m
00:25AM3.26m
1:09PM3.29m
1:52AM3.23m
2:28PM3.38m
3:01AM3.38m
Low Tide
3:06PM0.34m
3:28AM0.47m
3:44PM0.66m
4:05AM0.83m
4:23PM1.01m
4:44AM1.18m
5:07PM1.34m
5:31AM1.50m
6:05PM1.62m
6:38AM1.72m
7:29PM1.75m
8:12AM1.74m
9:05PM1.64m
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
part cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:11
6:13
6:15
6:16
6:18
6:20
6:20
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:36
8:34
8:31
8:30
8:29
8:27
8:24
 mm
1
1
2
1
Temp °C
20
18
19
19
18
18
18
18
17
18
18
16
16
17
15
18
18
17
18
20
17
Feels °C
19
15
17
16
14
15
13
11
11
13
13
14
15
15
11
15
16
15
16
17
13
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Church Cove Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Church Cove provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Church Cove can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Church Cove 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 (Church Cove) 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 Church Cove 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 Cornwall? If you are looking for accommodation near Church Cove, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in South Cornwall, consider staying in The Lizard which is 13 km (8 miles) away. Other places in and around South Cornwall where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Penryn which is 17 km (11 miles) away, Falmouth, Camborne and Penzance.

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