Church Cove Surf Break

Lat Long: 50.04° N 5.27° W

Church Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 pm 18 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Church Cove sea temperature is
18.8° C
2.4° 

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 18 Jul 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 25 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 7s period, WNW swell with 440 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 2.0m 7s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 25) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful10AM (Sat 25th Jul)6.5ft (2.0m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

Righto, grab a cuppa and settle in. The outlook for Church Cove is a bit of a tale of two halves. For the first week, we’re looking at tiny, weak waves that just won’t cooperate. The good news is that a definite pulse of size arrives in the second week, but it comes with a whole lot of wind. The standouts are few and far between, but there is one moment of magic if you’re patient.

The week starts off flat and frustrating. From Saturday the 18th through to Friday the 24th, we’re dealing with tiny little 0.7ft to 1ft waves. The energy is incredibly weak, with the combined swell energy reading between 6 and 33 (weak energy). The water temperature is a very unusual 66°, which is a massive 4° warmer than normal for this time of year – feels like a warm bath out there. Most of this period is plagued by cross-offshore winds, but on Monday afternoon the 20th, it goes glassy. The problem is, there’s only 1.0ft of swell on a long 11-second period, which is a groundswell, but it’s just not enough to push anything rideable. Don’t expect to get wet.

Then we hit a bit of a gap. The surf quality stays poor, but the size starts to build. Saturday the 25th sees a jump to 3ft-4ft, but the wind is straight onshore and lumpy, so it’s messy. The combined swell energy is starting to crank up, hitting 110 (moderate wave energy) on the Saturday afternoon, but it’s not worth paddling out for.

Sunday the 26th is where things get serious for the wrong reasons. We’ve got a solid 6ft of swell from the west, with a combined energy of 426 (strong to very strong wave energy), but it’s being hammered by a fresh cross-onshore breeze at 19 mph. This makes for a lumpy, ugly mess. This swell is 6ft, which is getting too big for beginners, and the wind is just ruining it. The same goes for Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th – plenty of size (3ft to 6ft) and energy (126 to 345), but all with onshore or cross-onshore winds. It’s a write-off for paddle surfing; this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing.

The real standout, if you can call it that, arrives on Thursday the 30th of July. The swell is 6ft from the west-northwest, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is a huge 427 (strong to very strong wave energy). The catch? The wind is a strong onshore breeze from the south-southwest at 19 mph. This is going to be raw, powerful, and blown out. This is expert-only territory – the size is over 5ft, and the wind will make it treacherous. It’s not a day for the faint-hearted.

The best chance of a clean wave comes right at the end of the forecast. On Friday the 31st of July, we finally get a break. The swell drops to a more manageable 5ft from the west-northwest, with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is still substantial at 284 (strong wave energy). But the big change is the wind: a fresh offshore breeze from the northeast at 19 mph. The forecast says “fresh offshore and clean”, and it’s the only time in the whole period the wind and swell line up. The combined energy of 284 is moderate to strong. This is your go. It’s a bit of a late call, but it’s the only window for a proper, clean wave. Expect crowds to be possible at Church Cove, as it’s the only game in town. Saturday the 1st of August also offers offshore winds and a 3ft-4ft swell, but it’s not as good as the Friday.

So, to be straight with you: the first week is a no-go. The second week has size but mostly onshore wind, turning it into a washing machine. The only true standout is Friday the 31st of July – that’s your day. Get on it early, because it’s the only decent window we’ve got.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sat morning, min 17°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (calm on Tue morning, fresh winds from the N by Wed afternoon).

Saturday
18
Sunday
19
Monday
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
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
0
0
0
0
0
0
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)
0.3
W
8
0.3
W
8
0.3
W
8
0.2
W
7
0.2
W
7
0.2
W
12
0.2
W
11
0.3
W
11
0.4
W
11
0.4
W
10
0.4
W
10
0.4
W
10
0.4
W
9
0.3
W
9
0.3
W
9
0.3
W
9
0.3
W
9
0.3
W
8
0.3
W
8
0.3
W
8
1.4
WNW
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
12
12
10
4
4
11
10
22
35
31
31
30
28
15
14
14
13
12
12
12
114
Wind (km/h)
20
N
25
NNW
25
N
30
ESE
15
ESE
20
N
10
ESE
10
W
20
N
5
ESE
5
SE
20
N
25
N
30
N
25
N
10
E
5
SW
15
N
10
WSW
20
NW
20
NW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
glassy
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
on
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross
High Tide
8:37PM4.81m
9:02AM4.36m
9:23PM4.53m
9:49AM4.12m
10:11PM4.21m
10:40AM3.88m
11:04PM3.88m
11:38AM3.66m
00:06AM3.62m
12:43PM3.52m
1:14AM3.47m
1:50PM3.49m
2:20AM3.45m
Low Tide
2:56PM0.17m
3:25AM0.18m
3:39PM0.42m
4:08AM0.48m
4:23PM0.72m
4:50AM0.81m
5:08PM1.04m
5:36AM1.12m
5:58PM1.32m
6:29AM1.38m
7:01PM1.53m
7:35AM1.54m
8:19PM1.59m
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:31
5:31
5:33
5:33
5:35
5:37
5:37
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
9:22
9:21
9:20
9:19
9:17
9:15
9:15
 mm
Temp °C
21
20
17
17
19
18
19
20
18
20
20
20
20
19
17
18
19
18
19
21
18
Feels °C
18
16
13
12
17
14
18
16
14
20
19
17
15
14
14
17
18
16
16
17
16
  • 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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