Surf Forecasts:
Fistral-North surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 8s period, W swell with 701 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Fistral-North this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Fistral-North in the next 16 days are 2.3m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 4s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fistral-North over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Fistral-North look pretty bloody ordinary for the most part. We’ve got a long, dry spell of poor surf ahead before anything worth paddling out for shows up.
Right now, and for the next two weeks solid, it’s a bit of a grim picture. From Monday the 17th of August right through until Sunday the 30th of August, the wave quality is just not there. We’re looking at a run of weak, short-period swell with the combined energy mostly in that low to moderate range (between 55 and 493 units), chopped up by persistent cross-onshore winds. There’s an occasional spike in height, like on the 27th of August when the swell jumps to 12ft with a long period of 11 to 13 seconds – that’s some serious groundswell energy (2631 to 3829) – but it’s all cross-on with a strong wind, making it a proper messy, lumpy mess. That’s expert territory only, and even then, it’s not going to be clean. The rest of the time you’re looking at small, weak waves or poor conditions. Not worth your time.
The only faint flicker of hope comes right at the end of the outlook. On Monday the 31st of August, things finally shift a little. The morning is still marginal with a moderate cross-shore and a combined energy of 804, but it’s the afternoon that gets interesting. We get a 4ft swell out of the WNW with a period of 14 seconds – that’s a long-period groundswell bringing some real shape. The wind even goes cross-offshore, which is a huge upgrade for Fistral-North, keeping it clean. The combined energy hits 1100, which is solid moderate energy. That afternoon window on the 31st is the standout in this whole forecast. It’s the only time we get that combination of decent swell, proper period, and a clean wind. It’s still over a week away, so take it as promising rather than certain, but it’s the one to pencil in.
Stay patient, folks. It’ll come right eventually.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 16°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Wed night, light winds from the NNE by Fri morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | W 8 | W 7 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 7 | WNW 7 | W 7 | W 8 | WNW 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | NNW 5 | N 6 | N 5 | N 5 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
60 | 121 | 111 | 160 | 135 | 233 | 232 | 320 | 701 | 286 | 412 | 194 | 105 | 82 | 33 | 101 | 85 | 32 | 25 | 25 | 20 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 8:56AM6.26m | 9:15PM6.25m | 9:33AM5.88m | 9:53PM5.75m | 10:13AM5.43m | 10:34PM5.22m | 10:57AM4.97m | 11:25PM4.73m | 11:55AM4.57m | 00:36AM4.36m | 1:20PM4.36m | 2:10AM4.29m | 2:52PM4.47m | 3:30AM4.52m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:11PM0.60m | 3:33AM0.81m | 3:48PM1.02m | 4:08AM1.28m | 4:27PM1.49m | 4:48AM1.75m | 5:13PM1.94m | 5:40AM2.17m | 6:19PM2.31m | 6:58AM2.45m | 7:54PM2.45m | 8:37AM2.43m | 9:24PM2.25m | ||||||||
6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 19 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | W 8 | — | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | WNW 9 | SW 16 | WSW 15 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 |
60 | 121 | — | 11 | 11 | 12 | 28 | 10 | 23 | 199 | 412 | 194 | 105 | 82 | 33 | 54 | 47 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 14 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | SW 18 | W 16 | — | — | — | SW 16 | — | — | SW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | W 11 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 |
40 | 12 | 5 | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | 8 | 20 | 19 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 20 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 12 | SW 12 | W 5 | — | W 5 | WNW 4 |
6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 7 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 7 | WNW 7 | W 7 | W 8 | WNW 7 | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | NNW 5 | N 6 | N 5 | N 5 | N 4 | N 4 | N 3 |
— | — | 111 | 160 | 135 | 233 | 232 | 320 | 701 | 286 | 18 | 17 | 30 | 25 | 32 | 101 | 85 | 32 | 13 | 9 | 2 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 281 | 271 | 293 | 271 | 218 | 240 | 542 | 218 | 407 | 133 | 96 | 40 | 4 | 44 | 232 | 0 | 40 | 4 | 41 | 42 | 136 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Fistral-North Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Fistral-North provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Fistral-North can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Fistral-North 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 (Fistral-North) 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 Fistral-North 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.
Fistral-North is 0 km (0 miles) from Newquay. If you plan a holiday in North Cornwall, look for hotels and other accommodation in Newquay. Newquay has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











