Surf Forecasts:
Croyde surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period, W swell with 392 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Croyde this week:
The surf forecast for Croyde 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 1.1m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 14s. Another secondary swell of 0.8m and 4s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Croyde in the next 16 days are 1.9m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Croyde over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, this is Rusty, and I'm looking at the only game in town for the next couple of weeks: Croyde.
Right out of the gate, I gotta be straight with you – it's a grim picture. The water's feeling much warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 66°F, which is a solid 4°F above average. That's a notable little anomaly, but it's not gonna help the surf.
The problem here is that while we've got some energy pushing in, the wind is just plain wrong. For the first week, from Tuesday the 18th right through to the end of the month, it's a frustrating mix of onshore and cross-onshore winds from the west and northwest. We see a brief flicker of hope on Friday the 21st morning – a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the northeast with a tiny 2ft west swell, but it's a weak one. The combined energy is a measly 92, so it's "surfable" but hardly worth dragging the wetsuit on for. Saturday the 22nd morning has a clean offshore wind from the east, but the swell is even smaller at 1ft with a weak energy reading of 54.
The real story is the wind. We've got moderate to strong breezes, even a near gale on the 30th, just tearing the surface up. The swell energy does climb a bit – we see 315 on Thursday the 20th morning, and a few days in the 100-200 range, but it's all junk. The period is short, mostly 7-9 seconds, meaning weak, disorganized waves. Any time we get a bit of size, like 6ft, it's lumpy and choppy.
Now, if you look into the first week of September, there's a big spike on Tuesday the 1st. Swell height jumps to 8ft from the west-southwest, and the combined energy hits 845. That's a solid amount of power. But before you get excited, the wind is still a cross-onshore mess from the north-northwest, and it's lumpy. 8ft with that kind of wind is not a pretty sight – it's a wall of chop. This is strictly for the experts, and even then, it's a battle. Given the persistent cross-onshore wind and exposed beach setup, this period looks more interesting for the kite surfers than anyone with a paddle.
Honestly, there's no standout session here. The whole 16-day window is a write-off for quality surf. The best you can hope for is a clean, small wave on a couple of mornings, but it's not worth planning around.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Wed night. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Wed afternoon, light winds from the ENE by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | W 7 | W 8 | W 9 | WSW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WSW 8 | W 10 | W 10 | WSW 15 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
97 | 130 | 56 | 77 | 388 | 378 | 343 | 135 | 68 | 48 | 24 | 30 | 28 | 21 | 14 | 39 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 15 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | off | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 10:48PM7.45m | 11:07AM7.05m | 11:28PM6.77m | 11:50AM6.44m | 00:16AM6.13m | 12:46PM5.91m | 1:25AM5.65m | 2:09PM5.60m | 3:01AM5.52m | 3:45PM5.74m | 4:23AM5.83m | 4:52PM6.21m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:30PM1.30m | 4:51AM1.63m | 5:09PM1.89m | 5:32AM2.23m | 5:56PM2.48m | 6:24AM2.78m | 7:02PM2.97m | 7:42AM3.16m | 8:37PM3.17m | 9:21AM3.15m | 10:08PM2.95m | 10:37AM2.77m | 11:10PM2.47m | |||||||
— | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 15 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 17 | W 9 | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 8 | SW 14 | WSW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WSW 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | SW 14 | W 8 | W 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 |
11 | 12 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 378 | 8 | 135 | 68 | 48 | 24 | 30 | 28 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 15 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 16 | — | — | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 15 | WSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 4 |
— | — | 10 | — | — | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 21 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | — | SW 12 | W 5 | — | SW 14 | SW 14 | — | SW 14 | SW 13 |
— | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 10 | 10 | — | 6 | 1 | — | 8 | 8 | — | 7 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | W 7 | — | W 9 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 3 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | N 4 | W 9 | NW 3 | — | WNW 4 | — |
97 | 130 | 56 | 77 | 388 | — | 343 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 17 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 39 | 2 | — | 2 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 274 | 48 | 91 | 274 | 226 | 68 | 68 | 0 | 0 | 91 | 309 | 283 | 227 | 36 | 91 | 413 | 237 | 404 | 412 | 140 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Devon | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Croyde Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Croyde provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Croyde can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Croyde 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 (Croyde) 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 Croyde 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.
Croyde is 9 km (6 miles) from Appledore. If you plan a holiday in North Devon, look for hotels and other accommodation in Appledore. Appledore has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











