Surf Forecasts:
Eastbourne surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 8s period, SW swell with 881 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Eastbourne this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Eastbourne in the next 16 days are 2.5m 8s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) 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 1.7m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 30) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Eastbourne over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's get into it.
First, the bad news: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf. There's a lot of wind, a lot of chop, and not much to get excited about. The water temperature is 70°, which is a massive 7° warmer than usual for this time of year – that's really unusual, feels like a warm bath out there.
The whole run kicks off on Monday, 24th of August, but it's a write-off. We've got a weak 3ft easterly windswell with a shocking 4-second period, being hammered by a 22 mph cross-onshore wind. The energy is weak (20) and the surf is just poor. This continues into Tuesday with even smaller, wind-affected junk.
Wednesday and Thursday offer a tiny bit of respite with lighter winds, but the swell is barely a ripple. The energy numbers are tiny (2 to 15), and the periods are either short or from the wrong direction. It's not worth paddling out for.
Then Friday, 28th of August, we see a spike in size. The swell jumps to 6ft in the morning, coming from the SW with a 6-second period, and the energy kicks up to a moderate 240. But it's messy. The wind is a cross-shore 12 mph, so it's lumpy. By the afternoon, the swell builds to 8ft with an 8-second period and a strong energy of 881, but the wind is up to 22 mph cross-shore. That's a lot of power, but it's going to be a messy, blown-out wall of water – really only for the experts, and even then, it's not going to be pretty.
Saturday and Sunday see the size drop, but the wind stays strong and messy. Monday, 31st of August, offers a cleaner option with the wind going cross-offshore, and a solid 6ft to 7ft SW swell. The energy is strong (273 to 350). The wind is strong though, 28 mph, so it's going to be a blustery, challenging session. It's a step up from the week before, but still not what I'd call a standout.
The first week of September is more of the same. The first few days of September are clean but small, with an offshore wind on Wednesday, 2nd of September, but no swell to speak of. The energy is zero. Through to the 8th of September, we see a few pulses of very long-period swell (up to 20 seconds!), but the size is tiny (1ft) and the wind is onshore or cross-shore, making it choppy and unrideable.
Honestly, there's no single standout session in this entire 16-day window. The closest we get to something worth looking at is the cleaner, albeit windy, windows around the 31st of August and 1st of September. But for clean, comfortable waves? You might be better off waiting for the next forecast.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 16°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Mon night, calm by Wed afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Thu afternoon, fresh winds from the SW by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 4 | E 4 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | ESE 3 | W 10 | W 10 | SSW 4 | SSW 3 | SSW 4 | SW 4 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | SW 8 | WSW 7 | SW 5 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 5 | SW 5 | WSW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
16 | 17 | 18 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 14 | 66 | 240 | 881 | 209 | 0 | 483 | 303 | 0 | 93 | 458 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:59PM4.73m | 10:29AM4.88m | 10:45PM5.13m | 11:10AM5.32m | 11:23PM5.53m | 11:45AM5.73m | 11:58PM5.90m | 12:18PM6.10m | 00:31AM6.21m | 12:51PM6.39m | 1:04AM6.42m | 1:24PM6.57m | 1:39AM6.52m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:40PM2.08m | 4:14AM1.77m | 4:38PM1.74m | 5:03AM1.37m | 5:24PM1.36m | 5:44AM0.98m | 6:03PM1.01m | 6:20AM0.65m | 6:39PM0.71m | 6:54AM0.40m | 7:13PM0.51m | 7:27AM0.27m | 7:46PM0.41m | ||||||||
5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
— | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | 4 |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 11 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 10 | SW 9 | — | W 9 | — | W 8 | — | — | SSW 3 | SE 4 | — | WSW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 8 | — |
4 | 3 | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 5 | — | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 32 | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | W 10 | E 6 | — | W 8 | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | — | W 9 | — | N 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 4 | E 4 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | ESE 3 | — | — | SSW 4 | — | SSW 4 | SW 4 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 8 | WSW 7 | SW 5 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 5 | SW 5 | WSW 7 |
16 | 17 | 18 | 10 | 3 | — | — | 5 | — | 8 | 14 | 38 | 240 | 881 | 209 | 79 | 483 | 303 | 62 | 93 | 458 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 505 | 446 | 345 | 366 | 342 | 321 | 340 | 377 | 448 | 176 | 173 | 99 | 318 | 160 | 160 | 450 | 366 | 182 | 711 | 366 | 529 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Coast of England | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Eastbourne Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Eastbourne provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Eastbourne can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Eastbourne 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 (Eastbourne) 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 Eastbourne 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.
Eastbourne is 11 km (7 miles) from Hailsham. If you plan a holiday in South Coast of England, look for hotels and other accommodation in Hailsham. Hailsham has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











