Surf Forecasts:
Fistral-South surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 9s period, WSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 9s period, WSW swell with 1,037 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Fistral-South this week:
The surf forecast for Fistral-South over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 24) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 12s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Fistral-South in the next 16 days are 2.5m 9s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fistral-South over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the table for Fistral-South. It’s a bit of a rough stretch ahead, if I’m honest. The sea’s been thumped by a lot of cross-onshore wind for days on end, so the first real glimmer of hope doesn’t show up until Tuesday the 25th of August. For a good stretch before that, from now right through the 24th, it’s mostly poor with lumpy, choppy conditions and hardly any quality. Not worth paddling out for.
The standout window arrives on the morning of Tuesday the 25th. We’ve got a solid pulse of swell rolling in – 8ft from the WSW, with a period of 9 seconds. That’s a fair amount of energy (845) and it’s going to be pumping. The wind is SSE and cross-offshore, which will keep the faces pretty clean. Now, this is a decent size – over 5ft – so it’s not for beginners; this one's aimed at the lads and lasses who know what they’re doing. The afternoon sees the swell drop a bit to 6ft, still with offshore SSE wind (18 mph). It’s clean, but that wind is fresh, so expect some power in the line-up. For a South-facing beach, this WSW swell will wrap in alright, but with the size, it could be a handful. If you’re an experienced surfer, the Tuesday morning is the best on offer.
Wednesday the 26th calms down a lot. The swell drops to 3ft from the SW, with light cross-offshore winds. It’s clean but very ordinary – surfable for a log or a fun board, but nothing to get overly excited about. Then Thursday the 27th morning is interesting for a moment: 5ft from the WSW, with glassy conditions and a north wind of just 3 mph. That’s about as clean as it gets, but the period is short at 7 seconds, so it’ll be a bit soft and choppy between sets. Worth a look if you’re desperate for a slide, but it’s not the big day.
After that, the end of August and into September looks poor again. A lot of cross-onshore junk and small swell. The 29th of August morning has some glass with 3ft from the SW, but it’s barely breaking. The rest of the window is a write-off until we get into early September, and even then it’s mostly poor with onshore winds and chop.
So, if you want the best of a rough lot, mark your calendar for Tuesday the 25th of August – the morning is the pick. It’s not perfect, but it’s the only window with proper size and clean wind in a sea of mediocrity.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | WNW 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | NNW 5 | W 10 | N 5 | N 5 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
170 | 166 | 157 | 235 | 287 | 430 | 632 | 553 | 235 | 109 | 66 | 43 | 29 | 31 | 28 | 19 | 19 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 918 | |
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 | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 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 | 3:57PM4.83m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 9:51AM2.12m | 10:24PM1.87m | ||||||||
6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | W 9 | SW 16 | WSW 15 | SW 14 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | N 5 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | SW 13 |
11 | 11 | 12 | 235 | 10 | 23 | 8 | 553 | 235 | 109 | 66 | 33 | 17 | 24 | 25 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 7 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 16 | — | — | — | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 | W 10 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | N 4 | SW 14 | SW 13 | — |
— | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | 20 | 19 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 29 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 3 | 7 | 7 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 12 | — | — | W 6 | WNW 5 | N 5 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 6 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | W 6 | WNW 7 | — | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | — | N 6 | N 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | — | N 5 | N 5 | N 4 | NNW 4 | — | — | SW 4 | WSW 9 |
170 | 166 | 157 | — | 287 | 430 | 632 | — | 102 | 62 | 47 | 43 | — | 31 | 28 | 12 | 10 | — | — | 14 | 918 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 271 | 392 | 139 | 140 | 231 | 217 | 134 | 142 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 57 | 4 | 40 | 64 | 137 | 40 | 55 | 55 | 18 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Fistral-South Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Fistral-South provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Fistral-South can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Fistral-South 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-South) 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-South 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-South is 1 km (1 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.











