
Surf Forecasts:
Fistral-South surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 11s period, W swell with 274 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s 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 Wednesday (Aug 12) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 9s 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 1.1m 11s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 10AM. 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 Tuesday (Aug 11) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Fistral-South over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for the next couple of weeks at Fistral-South.
Straight up, I’ve got to be honest with you – this is a grim run. There’s no surf worth talking about for the first twelve days. Nothing. The forecast is a flat spell with tiny, weak ripples. From Saturday the 8th of August right through to Wednesday the 19th, the swell barely gets above 4ft, and the quality is just poor. The wind is mostly messy, cross-onshore, or too strong, and the wave energy is weak – the combined energy of all swells sits at just 19 to 275 (weak to moderate). It’s a real bummer.
The first real chance of something half-decent appears on Thursday the 20th of August. The morning brings a clean, light cross-offshore breeze from the east at 6 mph, with waves around 2ft from the west. The period is a short 8 seconds, so it’s small and weak, but the combined energy is only 54 – very weak. It’s a tease, not a standout.
Then, on Friday the 21st of August, we finally get a small window of hope. The morning is clean with a light SSE breeze at 6 mph, offshore. Waves are 3ft from the west, but the period is only 5 seconds – that’s short, windswell stuff. The combined energy is just 92 (weak). By the afternoon, the wind picks up to a moderate 12 mph offshore from the SSE, and the swell bumps up to 5ft from the west. The period is still short at 6 seconds, and the combined energy hits 191 (moderate). The score says “surfable waves but very ordinary,” and I’d agree. For a desperate surfer, it’s something to paddle, but it’s not a classic.
The real punch comes on Tuesday the 18th of August. But hold on – that’s over a week away. The swell jumps to 8ft from the west-northwest, with a period of 8 seconds. That’s a solid size, but the combined energy is massive – 784 in the morning and 987 in the afternoon (strong to very strong wave energy). The problem is, the wind is onshore from the northwest at 12 to 18 mph, and the report says “unknown” conditions. That’s likely a messy, stormy surf. For a beach break like Fistral-South, that much short-period swell with onshore wind is going to be a washing machine. It’s too big for beginners, and for experts, it’s a grindy, challenging beast. Honestly, with that much wind, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The standouts? There aren’t any proper ones. If I had to pick one, it’s the Friday afternoon on the 21st of August. The offshore wind is a positive, and the 5ft swell is at least a clean shape. But the short period and low energy mean it’s not a day to write home about. The water temperature is about average for this time of year, so no drama there.
This is a long, flat stretch. Keep your eye on the long-range, but don’t hold your breath. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s a wait.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 18°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the ESE on Tue night, calm by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | WSW 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
14 | 9 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 15 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 11 | 85 | 125 | 108 | 132 | 274 | 233 | 184 | 129 | 99 | 86 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | glassy | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | off | off | off | off | off | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 1:31PM5.06m | 2:14AM5.08m | 2:54PM5.26m | 3:33AM5.35m | 4:05PM5.69m | 4:37AM5.77m | 5:03PM6.19m | 5:30AM6.18m | 5:52PM6.64m | 6:17AM6.50m | 6:37PM6.94m | 7:00AM6.68m | 7:19PM7.04m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:16AM1.78m | 8:03PM1.75m | 8:46AM1.70m | 9:29PM1.47m | 10:02AM1.35m | 10:38PM1.02m | 11:03AM0.90m | 11:34PM0.54m | 11:53AM0.48m | 00:21AM0.17m | 12:37PM0.18m | 1:04AM-0.04m | 1:19PM0.04m | 1:44AM-0.06m | |||||||
5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | |
— | 8:52 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:50 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:44 | — | — | 8:42 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 22 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 18 |
Feels °C | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | WSW 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 |
14 | 6 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 15 | 9 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 11 | 85 | 125 | 108 | 132 | 274 | 233 | 184 | 129 | 99 | 86 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 11 | WNW 9 | SW 7 | W 9 | SW 6 | WSW 6 | WNW 8 | WNW 5 | SW 7 | N 4 | W 9 | SW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
4 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 24 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | WSW 7 | W 9 | SW 6 | SW 12 | — | SW 7 | SW 7 | — | W 10 | W 13 | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 6 | — | 7 | 7 | — | 8 | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | — | N 3 | N 4 | SE 3 | SE 3 | SE 3 | SE 3 | SSE 3 | — | NNW 2 | NW 3 | NW 4 | NW 5 | NW 4 | N 4 |
— | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 5 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 7 | — | 1 | 3 | 10 | 23 | 18 | 7 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 202 | 202 | 40 | 40 | 231 | 40 | 15 | 40 | 40 | 401 | 233 | 30 | 70 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 41 | 41 | 140 | 293 | 41 |
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.











