Surf Forecasts:
Church Cove surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, WSW swell with 2,084 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Church Cove this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Church Cove in the next 16 days are 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Church Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s cooking at Church Cove.
Honestly, for the next week and a half, it’s a bit of a write-off. We’ve got a whole lot of wind and messy conditions to sit through before things start looking interesting. The first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Monday, September 7th, and even that takes a bit of patience. The wait is real, but it might just be worth it.
Starting off this Saturday, August 29th, it’s a no-go. We’ve got a risk of thunderstorms and a strong onshore wind from the SW at 25 mph pushing into a 8 ft SW swell. Combined wave energy is 780, which is moderate, but the quality is poor. That wind just kills it. The water’s sitting at 64°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Sunday and Monday don’t offer any relief either, with more onshore wind, fresh breezes, and lumpy, cross-onshore chop. There’s a 10 ft swell on Monday morning from the W with a 9-second period, but the cross-shore wind from the NW at 19 mph just chops it up. Not worth paddling out.
We’ve got a solid run of poor conditions through the first week of September. Wind stays onshore or cross-on, swell periods are short, and the wave energy is moderate at best. The whole setup is better left for another day.
Then, finally, on Monday, September 7th, we get a shift. The morning sees a light rain, but the wind goes glassy from the E at just 3 mph. We’ve got a 7 ft W swell with an 11-second period, and the combined wave energy is a strong 1119. The water temp details aren’t given for this period, but the wind is glassy – that’s a major positive. It’ll be clean. That afternoon, the wind swings NE at 16 mph, going offshore, and the swell holds at 6 ft with the same long period. This is your standout. It’s not huge, but clean, lined-up waves on a long-period groundswell? That’s the kind of session you wait for. Just know that Church Cove is inconsistent, so you’ve got to pick your moment. Crowds are a possibility here sometimes, but on a Monday, you might get lucky.
After that, the energy drops off again through Tuesday and Wednesday. We get a 8 ft to 10 ft spike from the WSW around Thursday and Friday, September 10th and 11th, with a very long 14-second period on the Friday morning. That’s a big, powerful groundswell – wave energy hits 4625, which is very strong. But the wind is a light cross-on from the S at 6 mph. The break is fairly exposed to the swell, so there’ll be plenty of size, but the cross-on element keeps it from being perfect. It’s a marginal call, more for experienced surfers given the size and power. Saturday, September 12th, sees a drop-off, but Sunday morning, September 13th, looks promising again with glassy conditions from the WSW and a 6 ft, 10-second swell. Clean again, but more of a fun-sized wave.
So, to cut it short: the first week is a write-off with strong winds and messy surf. The best bet is Monday, September 7th – glassy morning, offshore afternoon, with a solid, clean groundswell. The second standout is Friday, September 11th, for the big, powerful swell, but it’s for the experienced crew only. Keep an eye on the glassy Sunday morning on the 13th too.
That’s the long and short of it. Keep your eyes on the forecast – it can change. Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 16°C on Sun afternoon). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Sat afternoon, light winds from the W by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Tue morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | W 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WSW 6 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 13 | W 12 | W 11 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
780 | 1926 | 878 | 347 | 751 | 2084 | 1374 | 828 | 470 | 225 | 123 | 84 | 167 | 556 | 688 | 470 | 428 | 1568 | 1194 | 1137 | 891 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 6:28PM4.87m | 6:45AM4.70m | 7:00PM4.94m | 7:18AM4.75m | 7:34PM4.92m | 7:53AM4.71m | 8:11PM4.78m | 8:31AM4.57m | 8:52PM4.54m | 9:15AM4.34m | 9:40PM4.21m | 10:08AM4.04m | 10:41PM3.85m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:51PM0.20m | 1:13AM0.08m | 1:26PM0.12m | 1:48AM0.06m | 2:01PM0.14m | 2:23AM0.14m | 2:39PM0.26m | 3:01AM0.32m | 3:19PM0.46m | 3:43AM0.58m | 4:06PM0.73m | 4:32AM0.90m | 5:02PM1.02m | ||||||||
6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | |
— | 8:12 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | |
mm | 4 | — | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 |
Feels °C | 14 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WSW 9 | W 9 | — | — | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | W 8 | W 8 | W 13 | W 12 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
— | — | 878 | 347 | — | — | 1374 | 828 | 470 | 225 | 123 | 84 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 470 | 428 | 1568 | 1194 | 20 | 20 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 7 | S 18 | S 18 | SW 17 | SW 16 | S 10 | — | S 18 | S 6 | W 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | — | SSW 14 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 2 | — | 6 | 15 | 106 | 23 | 20 | — | 20 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 11 | — | — | — | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 22 | 45 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 8 | WSW 9 | — | SSW 7 | WSW 8 | WSW 10 | — | — | — | — | SW 4 | SW 5 | WSW 6 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | — | — | — | — | W 11 | W 10 |
780 | 1926 | — | 105 | 751 | 2084 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 14 | 167 | 556 | 688 | — | — | — | — | 1137 | 891 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 267 | 183 | 22 | 125 | 195 | 192 | 172 | 168 | 12 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 255 | 189 | 190 | 192 | 192 | 192 | 201 | 190 | 68 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











