Surf Forecasts:
Church Cove surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 9s period, W swell with 700 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 10s 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 2.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Church Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, look. I’m not gonna lie to you, it’s been a rough stretch and it’s about to get worse before it gets any better. There are no good surf options in this 16-day window for us. The only break on offer is Church Cove, and while the ocean is trying to throw some size at us, the wind and quality just aren’t cooperating.
Right now, it’s Monday the 17th with a 3 ft west swell at a short 8 seconds, but that 16 mph cross-on wind is ruining it. Choppy and messy. Water temp is 66°, which is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year. Tuesday and Wednesday push the swell up to 5 ft to 6 ft, but the wind stays cross-on from the west at 16-19 mph. Clean surf is nowhere to be found.
By Thursday the 20th, we’ve got a 7 ft west swell (combined energy 648-720), which is moderate wave energy, but it’s cross-shore wind at 19 mph – lumpy cross-chop. Not the wave we want.
Then we have a gap of several days. Friday the 21st morning finally gives us a brief moment of hope: 3 ft west swell with a light offshore from the NE at only 6 mph. Clean conditions, but the swell is small and the waves are ordinary. It’s surfable but nothing to get excited about. From Saturday the 22nd right through to Monday the 25th morning, the swell drops to nothing – 0.7 ft to 1 ft. Glassy conditions on the 24th, but with a 0.7 ft SSW groundswell at 14 seconds – long period but tiny. That’s a lake, not a surf.
Tuesday the 25th morning picks up again with a 3 ft west swell and 16 mph cross-on wind. It’s choppy and poor. Wednesday the 26th sees 5 ft to 5 ft west-southwest swell, but the wind is howling at 22-25 mph, creating a messy cross-shore chop. Honestly, at this point, with that much wind and lumpy conditions, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Thursday the 27th is still cross-shore and choppy. Friday the 28th hits 8 ft to 8 ft from the WSW at 19 mph onshore. That’s too big for beginners and only for experts, but the onshore wind makes it a real battle. Saturday the 29th morning clean again with a 8 ft WSW swell (combined energy 880) and a cross-offshore wind – clean, but it’s a big, powerful swell. Could be a standout for experts who don’t mind the size. The rest of the weekend through to September 1st is all onshore wind, with the swell climbing to 10 ft by Tuesday the 1st of September – a very long period groundswell at 12 seconds (combined energy 2267). That’s strong wave energy, but with 19 mph onshore wind, it’s just a washing machine.
There’s a long gap of almost a week with no real recommendation. Church Cove is inconsistent and rarely breaks well, and this forecast shows why. It tends not to stay poor for long, but right now, we're in a dry spell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon night, min 17°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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) | W 8 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
121 | 104 | 115 | 115 | 157 | 372 | 473 | 572 | 627 | 700 | 361 | 150 | 51 | 40 | 23 | 25 | 21 | 19 | 39 | 20 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 3:28AM0.47m | 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 | ||||||||
— | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
8:36 | — | — | 8:34 | — | — | 8:31 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 15 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 18 | S 16 | W 8 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 9 | W 9 | E 6 | E 6 | W 9 | W 9 | ESE 5 |
6 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 29 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 700 | 361 | 150 | 51 | 40 | 23 | 85 | 25 | 14 | 14 | 8 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 19 | SSW 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | W 9 | NNW 4 | SSW 14 | W 8 |
— | 7 | 27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 18 | 17 | 36 | 11 | 5 | 17 | 14 | 4 | 39 | 12 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 16 | E 3 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | WSW 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | NNW 5 | SSW 14 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | 24 | 21 | 25 | 21 | 19 | 2 | 20 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | — | — | NE 5 | ENE 3 | NNW 5 | E 5 | E 6 | N 3 | ENE 4 | — | — |
121 | 104 | 115 | 115 | 157 | 372 | 473 | 572 | 627 | — | — | 1 | 4 | 17 | 53 | 120 | 7 | 6 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 192 | 257 | 314 | 190 | 169 | 190 | 190 | 305 | 186 | 183 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 106 | 23 | 30 | 294 | 10 | 10 | 271 |
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.











