Surf Forecasts:
Fistral-South surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 10s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 21 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 9s period, W swell with 235 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 10AM (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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Fistral-South in the next 16 days are 1.2m 9s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fistral-South over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s talk about Fistral-South. I’ve had a good look at what’s coming, and if I’m being honest, it’s a bit of a mixed bag over the next couple of weeks. There’s some proper energy on the cards, but the conditions are going to keep things tricky. The water’s sitting at 66°, which is a touch warmer than normal for August – not a bad thing if you’re in a summer shorty.
Let’s start with the first bit of swell that’s worth paddling for. Thursday the 20th, we see a 7ft WNW swell rolling in, period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is moderate (648), but the problem is the wind. It’s blowing onshore from the northwest at 16 mph, making a mess of things. The wave comment says it all: poor surf conditions. I wouldn’t even bother.
Friday the 21st, the swell drops right off, and it stays messy with cross-onshore wind. Not worth a look. Saturday morning the 22nd actually cleans up – we’ve got a light E breeze, cross-offshore, and a clean-looking ocean. But the swell is tiny, 2ft, and the energy is weak (87). It’s surfable, just, but don’t expect much.
Things stay small and poor through the end of August and into the start of September. There’s a gap here of a few days where you’re scraping the barrel.
Now, let’s look ahead to Saturday the 29th of August. This is the standout in the whole window. A 7ft swell from the west, period 8 seconds. The combined energy is strong (597), so there’s plenty of push. But – and it’s a big but – the wind is cross-onshore from the WNW at 16 mph, creating choppy, lumpy conditions. This is going to be a raw, bumpy session. For experts only, this size is well over 5ft. It’s a shame about the wind because if it was offshore, this would be a cracker.
After that, the swell drops again. Thursday morning the 27th of August offers a brief moment of hope: 3ft swell, period 10 seconds, and glassy winds from the east. Energy is moderate (177). The wave comment says surfable but very ordinary. It’s the cleanest window in the whole run, but the wave size is too small to get excited about.
By the 3rd and 4th of September, we get another pulse of energy, with a 7ft swell on Thursday afternoon (501 combined energy) and a cleaner 5ft on Friday morning (363 combined energy). But again, the winds are either near-gale strength or onshore, ruining the shape.
Overall, for Fistral-South, there’s no real “rush to the water” moment. The best bet is the glassy Thursday morning the 27th for a clean, small-wave longboard session, or if you’re an expert looking for a battle, the big, messy Saturday the 29th might get your pulse going. Otherwise, it’s a lot of waiting, a lot of wind, and not much in between.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Sun morning, min 14°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 17°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Sun night, strong winds from the ESE by Mon afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
627 | 339 | 116 | 86 | 32 | 65 | 40 | 24 | 19 | 46 | 38 | 8 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 31 | 60 | 56 | 89 | 168 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:25PM4.73m | 11:55AM4.57m | 00:36AM4.36m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 10:41AM1.71m | 11:07PM1.44m | 11:20AM1.28m | 11:43PM1.03m | |||||||
— | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:17 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 5 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 17 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | N 5 | N 6 | W 9 | W 9 | N 4 | SW 13 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | W 9 | W 8 | NE 5 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 |
21 | 339 | 116 | 86 | 13 | 31 | 40 | 24 | 5 | 46 | 38 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 31 | 60 | 56 | 89 | 168 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | WNW 5 | W 10 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | W 9 | W 9 | N 4 | W 9 | WSW 13 | WSW 13 | WNW 10 | SW 8 | SW 13 | SW 12 | WNW 11 | SSW 8 |
— | 18 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 65 | 21 | 21 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 40 | 54 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | W 8 | WSW 15 | SW 12 | — | WSW 14 | — | SW 14 | N 4 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SSW 8 | NE 5 | — | N 6 | N 6 | SW 12 |
— | — | 10 | 10 | 32 | 22 | 6 | — | 19 | — | 8 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | — | — | N 5 | N 4 | — | NNW 4 | — | E 3 | ENE 3 | E 4 | ESE 3 | — | SW 8 | SW 6 | SW 7 | — |
627 | 27 | 54 | 33 | — | — | 20 | 10 | — | 6 | — | 4 | 3 | 17 | 3 | — | 51 | 46 | 73 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 217 | 40 | 73 | 247 | 40 | 0 | 40 | 40 | 14 | 4 | 15 | 265 | 205 | 202 | 202 | 14 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 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.











