Surf Forecasts:
Church Cove surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 9s period, W swell with 971 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 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 1.6m 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 2.4m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Church Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Church Cove is serving up over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. For the first few days, the wind is just howling out of the west, and it’s making a mess of things. We’ve got some moderate swell energy (around 156) coming in on Tuesday the 18th, but it’s a short period, cross-on wind, and it’s just lumpy. The water is sitting at 66°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s about the only nice thing I can say. The swell builds through Wednesday and Thursday the 20th, with the energy jumping up to a strong 886, and the swell height hitting 8 ft. But again, the wind is cross-shore and lumpy, so it’s not going to be pretty. This size is getting into the territory where it’s too big for beginners anyway.
Now, Friday the 21st... that’s the one bright spot. The wind finally swings around to a light offshore from the ENE at 9 mph, and the swell drops back to a clean 4 ft from the west. The energy is moderate (232), and the period is a decent 9 seconds. Conditions are clean and surfable. It’s not a world-beater, but it’s the best we’ve got in this whole window. The break is a bit inconsistent, so you might have to wait for the sets, but if you’re keen, Friday morning is your time. Church Cove is fairly exposed to the swell, and the direction is right on the money from the SW, so it should line up.
After that, it’s a long, dry spell. From Saturday the 22nd all the way through to the end of August, the swell drops right off to nothing. We’re talking tiny waves, some days with a bit of offshore wind, but the energy is weak (under 70). There’s no surf to speak of – just flat spells. Don’t even bother.
We get a little bump again around the 1st of September, with a 8 ft swell from the west, and the energy is strong (921). But the wind goes straight onshore from the SSW, and it’s just a messy onshore mess. Not worth the paddle out. The whole second week is a washout with poor conditions.
So, the bottom line: if you’re desperate for a wave, Friday the 21st morning is your only real shout. It’s clean, it’s surfable, but don’t expect a classic. For the rest of the 16 days, it’s a long gap of flat or blown-out junk. The forecasts can change, but right now, it’s looking pretty grim.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue night, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Wed night, light winds from the N by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sat afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 14°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 9 | W 10 | W 8 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | W 9 | SSW 13 | WNW 10 | W 10 | SW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
259 | 414 | 655 | 942 | 864 | 464 | 205 | 112 | 50 | 54 | 32 | 24 | 24 | 13 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 82 | 235 | 962 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | off | cross-off | off | cross | cross | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 3:28PM3.62m | 3:53AM3.62m | 4:14PM3.91m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 9:33AM1.53m | 10:08PM1.35m | 10:25AM1.22m | 10:53PM1.02m | |||||||
6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 8:31 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:20 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | W 10 | W 10 | W 8 | WNW 8 | NW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | E 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | WNW 10 | W 10 | SW 9 |
259 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 864 | 464 | 205 | 112 | 50 | 54 | 32 | 12 | 24 | 13 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 82 | 235 | 962 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | — | — | — | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 9 | W 8 | NNW 6 | W 9 | SSW 14 | E 6 | E 5 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | E 5 | E 5 | SSW 12 |
24 | — | — | — | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 38 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 14 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | W 8 | NNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 8 | SSW 13 | E 5 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 10 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 10 | W 8 | W 9 | — | — | NE 3 | N 3 | N 3 | — | — | NE 3 | NE 4 | — | N 3 | — | — | — | S 3 | SSW 5 | — |
— | 414 | 655 | 942 | — | — | 5 | 7 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | — | 2 | 78 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 579 | 190 | 181 | 176 | 183 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 205 | 98 | 187 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 58 | 294 | 391 | 192 | 12 | 22 | 69 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











