Surf Forecasts:
Fistral-South surf forecast from 14 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, WNW swell with 262 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Fistral-South this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Fistral-South in the next 16 days are 1.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) 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 0.4m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 16) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fistral-South over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get real about what we’ve got coming up for Fistral-South. I’ve stared at the charts and, straight up, the next week and a half is looking pretty grim. We’re staring down a big dead period with no real surf on the cards.
We start on Friday, August 14th with some small, weak W swell around 3ft, but it’s coming straight onshore with a 6-9 mph breeze. The energy reading is only 129, so it’s really weak and the report just says “poor surf conditions” right from the start. That pattern sticks around all weekend. Saturday is cross-onshore and choppy, Sunday and Monday are just tiny and sloppy. We get a little bump from the west again on Tuesday the 18th, with 4-4ft swells, but the wind is howling cross-shore at 12-19 mph making a mess of it.
Moving into the second week, Wednesday the 19th kicks off with a 2ft swell from the NW (10 sec period) that looks okay in the early morning with a light breeze, but the energy is still low (138). That tiny window gets ruined again by stronger cross-onshore wind later in the day. Through Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of that week, the wind stays a problem, either onshore or cross-onshore with speeds up to 19 mph, making the 4-5ft swells completely unsurfable. The water temp is about average for the time of year.
Now, for the one true standout – and it’s a long way off. It’s not until early on Thursday, August 27th that things finally look interesting. We get a morning session with clear skies and a strong offshore wind from the ESE blowing at 19 mph. The swell is a solid 5ft from the WNW with a 9-second period, and the combined energy hits 372. That’s a moderate-to-strong pulse. The report even says “fresh offshore and clean.” This is the one. This is what you wait for. It’s just for the experts though, at 5ft with that much energy and offshore wind, it will be powerful and hollow on the bank.
We also get a glimpse on Wednesday, August 26th, the day before. The afternoon is almost glassy with a 4ft W swell, giving us “glassy” conditions. It’s ordinary, but with no wind, you could have a nice, clean little session on a longboard. For anyone just getting started, that’s your only look. The rest of the window – the final days of August – is stuffed with onshore wind, rain, and tiny waves.
So to wrap it up: the entire forecast until August 26th is a write-off. The only real, heart-pumping surf is Thursday, August 27th’s morning session – that offshore wind combo is a gift. Get on it if you’re a charger. For the rest, it’s a long wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Fri morning, min 16°C on Sat afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Mon night, fresh winds from the WSW by Tue night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | WNW 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
129 | 123 | 133 | 100 | 95 | 54 | 27 | 25 | 8 | 29 | 121 | 83 | 115 | 88 | 69 | 67 | 225 | 163 | 223 | 146 | 237 | |
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 | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross | cross | cross | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 7:00AM6.68m | 7:19PM7.04m | 7:40AM6.69m | 7:58PM6.95m | 8:18AM6.55m | 8:37PM6.67m | 8:56AM6.26m | 9:15PM6.25m | 9:33AM5.88m | 9:53PM5.75m | 10:13AM5.43m | 10:34PM5.22m | 10:57AM4.97m | 11:25PM4.73m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:19PM0.04m | 1:44AM-0.06m | 1:57PM0.07m | 2:22AM0.10m | 2:35PM0.27m | 2:58AM0.40m | 3:11PM0.60m | 3:33AM0.81m | 3:48PM1.02m | 4:08AM1.28m | 4:27PM1.49m | 4:48AM1.75m | 5:13PM1.94m | ||||||||
6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | |
— | 8:42 | — | — | 8:39 | — | — | 8:38 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 21 | 21 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | WNW 9 | W 8 | W 16 | SW 17 | W 6 | SW 17 | W 10 | SW 16 | W 9 | SW 14 | W 9 | WSW 14 |
129 | 123 | 133 | 100 | 95 | 54 | 27 | 25 | 8 | 28 | 121 | 5 | 11 | 88 | 12 | 67 | 10 | 42 | 8 | 43 | 19 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 13 | — | — | — | N 4 | N 4 | — | W 7 | SW 18 | — | — | SW 17 | W 11 | SW 16 | — | WSW 15 | — | WSW 14 | — |
— | — | 3 | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | 4 | 12 | — | — | 11 | 2 | 10 | — | 23 | — | 20 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 8 | W 18 | W 18 | W 18 | — | — | — | — | W 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | N 3 | N 4 | N 4 | N 4 | — | — | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | — | W 7 | W 6 | — | W 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 9 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 |
— | — | 3 | 19 | 18 | 22 | — | — | 5 | 29 | — | 83 | 115 | — | 69 | 61 | 225 | 163 | 223 | 146 | 237 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 16 | 41 | 293 | 253 | 154 | 393 | 402 | 281 | 281 | 217 | 35 | 1 | 217 | 210 | 73 | 217 | 298 | 762 | 217 | 73 |
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.











