Surf Forecasts:
Fistral-South surf forecast from 30 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 6 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 4 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, WNW swell with 2,084 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 6 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 8s 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 Sunday (Sep 06) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 8s period. 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 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) 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 0.6m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 31) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Sun 6th Sep) | 5ft (1.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Fri 4th Sep) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
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 coming up for Fistral-South. To be straight with you, the next couple of weeks are a bit of a mixed bag and it’s not going to be easy. The water is sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing your bits off.
We kick off on Saturday the 29th of August, and it’s not pretty. A solid 8ft swell from the WSW is pumping in, with a strong 28 mph cross-on wind from the west. The wave energy is significant (1076), but it’s a complete mess – strong cross-onshore and lumpy. Honestly, it’s a write-off.
Sunday the 30th doesn’t improve much. We’ve got a 5ft to 7ft swell coming in from the WSW, but the wind is still a fresh 19 mph cross-shore, creating lumpy cross-chop. The energy is moderate (366-575), but the quality is poor. Give it a miss.
Monday the 31st sees a bigger pulse of swell, with 10ft from the west in the morning and a solid 2ft of energy (1416). That’s getting into expert-only territory, and the wind is onshore at 19 mph. Messy.
Tuesday the 1st of September drops a little in size, with 4ft to 3ft from the west, but it’s still cross-shore with a slight chop. The energy is weak (160-194). Not worth paddling out for.
The pattern continues through the first week of September – Wednesday the 2nd and Thursday the 3rd have 5ft to 7ft of swell, cross-onshore winds, and lumpy conditions. The energy picks up a bit (216-647), but it’s all blown out.
Friday the 4th of September brings a big one: 10ft from the WNW with energy hitting 1700. That’s serious power, but the wind is onshore at 22 mph. It’s a brute, and it’s ugly. Only for the hardcore or the kamikaze.
Now, there is a glimmer. Saturday the 6th of September. Sunday morning. The wind swings around to the southeast, blowing offshore at 19 mph. The swell is a clean 4ft from the west with a period of 8 seconds and moderate energy (224). The wind is fresh offshore, and the conditions are clean. This is probably the best window in the whole 16 days. It’s a small, clean, fun-sized wave with offshore winds. The crowds will be a factor, as Fistral-South is often busy, so get out there early. It’s not a standout for size, but for quality, it’s the only real option.
After that, it turns messy again. Sunday the 7th of September has a 6ft cross-onshore mess, and the energy is 804. Monday the 8th is similar, with 4ft from the west and a cross-onshore wind.
We get another brief look on Thursday the 10th of September. The afternoon shows a 3ft swell from the west with a very long period of 14 seconds and clean offshore wind from the SSE. The energy is 625. This is a long-period groundswell, which can be a bit too straight for a beach break, but with offshore wind, it could produce some clean, lined-up waves. It’s a marginal call, but it’s the second best option.
The final week is a write-off. Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th of September are huge and horrible. The 12th has a 12ft west swell with 34 mph cross-onshore winds and energy of 3266. That’s a massive, blown-out mess. Sunday the 13th is a bit smaller but still onshore and lumpy.
So, to be honest, there’s a big gap of poor surf from the 29th of August until the 6th of September, and then it goes bad again after the 7th. The standout is the 6th of September morning. Get it while you can.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Sun afternoon. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the W on Sat afternoon, light winds from the WSW by Mon night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Tue night, fresh winds from the WNW by Thu night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 9 | W 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WSW 7 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 11 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
1076 | 676 | 366 | 575 | 1753 | 1416 | 872 | 354 | 188 | 148 | 105 | 206 | 509 | 539 | 439 | 624 | 2084 | 1692 | 808 | 972 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 7:00PM6.66m | 7:17AM6.50m | 7:32PM6.75m | 7:50AM6.54m | 8:07PM6.69m | 8:25AM6.45m | 8:43PM6.48m | 9:03AM6.22m | 9:24PM6.14m | 9:46AM5.87m | 10:12PM5.68m | 10:38AM5.44m | 11:12PM5.19m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:19AM0.25m | 1:30PM0.26m | 1:50AM0.22m | 2:03PM0.29m | 2:23AM0.32m | 2:37PM0.44m | 2:58AM0.56m | 3:15PM0.71m | 3:38AM0.92m | 4:00PM1.10m | 4:27AM1.36m | 4:58PM1.53m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
8:12 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:59 | — | |
mm | — | — | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 9 | WSW 9 | — | — | — | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | — | W 8 | SW 16 | WSW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | — | SW 14 | WNW 12 | WSW 14 |
— | 676 | 366 | — | — | — | 872 | 354 | 188 | — | 105 | 10 | 24 | 8 | 21 | 23 | — | 8 | 422 | 19 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | N 4 | — | — | — | — | N 5 | N 5 | SW 17 | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | — |
— | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 2 | 12 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 18 | W 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 9 | — | — | WSW 8 | W 10 | W 10 | — | — | — | W 9 | — | WSW 7 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 11 |
1076 | — | — | 575 | 1753 | 1416 | — | — | — | 148 | — | 206 | 509 | 539 | 439 | 624 | 2084 | 1692 | 808 | 972 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 134 | 1 | 401 | 490 | 138 | 231 | 138 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 779 | 214 | 240 | 512 | 231 | 231 | 298 | 148 | 34 |
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.











