Surf Forecasts:
Fistral-South surf forecast from 22 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, W swell with 1,531 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period with W 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 Tuesday (Aug 25) at 4PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 8s. 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 3.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fistral-South over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's have a look at what's coming down the pipe for Fistral South.
Alright, let's be straight with you. The next week or so is looking pretty grim. We’ve got a real flat spell on our hands. From now, Saturday the 22nd, right through until Sunday the 30th of August, it’s going to be a frustrating stretch. Most days are showing tiny, weak swell with poor conditions. The water’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, coming in at about 65°F, but that’s the only nice thing I can say. The wave energy is pitiful, often under 100 (67), and the winds are mostly side-off or onshore, making for messy, unexciting surf. You’d be better off finding something else to do.
Now, there is a tiny glimmer on Tuesday the 25th afternoon. The wind turns offshore from the SE at 16 mph, and we get a little bump of 2ft from the W with a period of 10 seconds. It’s surfable, but only just. The energy is still low (82). It’s not worth a special trip.
The first real standout doesn't appear until Monday the 31st of August. I’m talking about a Monday morning session that could be worth setting the alarm for. We’ve got 5ft of swell from the W, with an 8-second period. The real kicker is the wind: glassy. Dead calm, from the NW at just 3 mph. That’s a major positive, you’ll have the place to yourself with clean, smooth lines. The combined energy is a solid 270, which is moderate and shows there’s some push. For an intermediate-level break like Fistral South, this is the best on offer in the whole 16 days. Keep in mind, this is a beach break, and with a shorter period swell it won’t have the power of a groundswell, but with glassy conditions, it’ll be fun.
Then we jump to the 4th of September, a Friday. This is the other true standout. Thursday the 3rd is a write-off – 5ft of swell but with a nasty cross-shore and cross-chop making it a mess. But Friday morning the 4th is all class. We get glassy conditions again, with a light SSE breeze at 3 mph. The swell is 4ft from the W, with a 9-second period and a combined energy of 406, which is moderate-to-strong. The afternoon is even better, with 4ft from the WNW and a longer 12-second period. That longer period means more shape and energy, and the glassy wind holds. That Friday afternoon session is the pick of the whole forecast. The energy (459) is the highest we see in clean conditions. This one has real promise.
The following Saturday the 5th looks promising at a glance, with a fresh offshore SSE wind at 22 mph and 3ft from the WNW, but that wind is blowing a gale. It’ll be clean, but hard to paddle into and the wave faces will be blown out. Better to wait for the glassy days.
So, to wrap it up: the next week and a half is mostly a write-off. Hang in there for Monday the 31st of August morning for a glassy, clean session, and circle Friday the 4th of September afternoon on your calendar. That’s your best bet for some real quality.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 16°C on Sat morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Sun morning, fresh winds from the E by Mon morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 13 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SW 8 | WSW 7 | W 7 | W 8 | WNW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
45 | 39 | 24 | 19 | 43 | 38 | 8 | 17 | 12 | 34 | 71 | 60 | 50 | 32 | 126 | 191 | 138 | 121 | 418 | 922 | 1245 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | on | on |
High Tide | 1:20PM4.36m | 2:10AM4.29m | 2:52PM4.47m | 3:30AM4.52m | 3:57PM4.83m | 4:24AM4.90m | 4:44PM5.27m | 5:04AM5.32m | 5:21PM5.72m | 5:40AM5.72m | 5:55PM6.12m | 6:12AM6.07m | 6:27PM6.44m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:54PM2.45m | 8:37AM2.43m | 9:24PM2.25m | 9:51AM2.12m | 10:24PM1.87m | 10:41AM1.71m | 11:07PM1.44m | 11:20AM1.28m | 11:43PM1.03m | 11:54AM0.90m | 00:16AM0.67m | 12:27PM0.58m | 00:48AM0.40m | ||||||||
6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
— | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 10 | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 5 | W 9 | W 9 | N 4 | NNW 4 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | SW 9 | WNW 11 | SW 8 | WNW 10 | — | — | — |
37 | 39 | 24 | 10 | 7 | 38 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 34 | 71 | 60 | 50 | 32 | 126 | 12 | 138 | 31 | — | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | W 9 | SW 13 | WSW 14 | N 4 | WSW 13 | WNW 11 | NNE 5 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SSW 7 | W 8 | — | W 8 | SW 12 | — | — | — |
45 | 21 | 21 | 13 | 43 | 19 | 1 | 17 | 12 | 4 | 11 | 17 | 15 | 10 | 18 | — | 41 | 5 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 15 | SW 12 | — | WSW 14 | W 10 | — | W 9 | SW 9 | SW 13 | SW 8 | NNE 5 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | — | WNW 10 | — | — | — | — |
22 | 6 | — | 19 | 8 | — | 6 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | — | 20 | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 5 | N 4 | — | — | N 4 | E 3 | ENE 3 | E 3 | — | — | — | SW 3 | SSW 3 | — | SW 8 | — | WSW 7 | W 7 | W 8 | WNW 9 |
— | 17 | 14 | — | — | 5 | 8 | 7 | 5 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 191 | — | 121 | 418 | 922 | 1245 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 53 | 40 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 265 | 205 | 202 | 262 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 24 | 205 | 1 | 1 | 138 | 281 |
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.











