
Surf Forecasts:
Folkestone surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 17 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, SW swell with 146 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Folkestone this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Folkestone in the next 16 days are 1.4m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 19) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Thu 17th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Folkestone over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the table for the next two weeks. I gotta be straight with you: this stretch is a tough one. The swell is off and on, and even when it shows up, it’s small and choppy. We’ve got a lot of flat days coming up, so patience is the name of the game. The whole forecast is for Folkestone, a sheltered beach and reef setup, and it’s a long wait for anything worth paddling out for.
The best you’ll see is a quick little spike next week, but it’s not going to be pretty. For most of this run, you’re better off doing something else.
Right now and through most of this week, it’s pretty bleak. Monday the 14th starts with tiny waves, like 0.3 ft, and it’s cross-off wind. It’s just not happening. That flat spell hangs around through the 15th, 16th, and into the 17th with nothing but small, messy stuff and some rain. The combined energy is barely registering, often at zero or just a couple of points (2 to 12). It’s a total write-off.
There’s a tiny window on Thursday the 17th afternoon. The swell jumps to 5 ft from the SW, with energy at 146 (moderate). The wind is cross-off, so it’ll be clean on the surface. But the period is a weak 6 seconds, so it’ll be a fat, crumbly mess. It’s the biggest we’ll see for a while, but it’s an intermediate wave at best.
After that, it goes flat again. The 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd all see nothing but zeros and tiny 0.3 ft to 1 ft readings. That’s a solid five days of flatness.
Now, the week starting Sunday the 27th brings a little more hope, but it’s a long way out. Sunday the 27th afternoon has a 4 ft SW swell, period at 5 seconds and energy at 51. It’s weak and onshore with a cross-on wind, so expect chop. Then on Monday the 28th afternoon, the swell nudges up to 5 ft from the SSW, with solid energy of 143. The wind is light cross-on, so it’ll be lumpy. The reef might put something together, but the period is only 6 seconds. It’s not the clean, lined-up stuff we dream about. This is the standout for the whole 16-day run, but that’s not saying much. It’s an intermediate option on a good day, but here it’s just the best of a poor lot.
Crowds at Folkestone are a “sometimes” thing, and with how inconsistent the surf is, you might have it to yourself on these marginal days. On the plus side, any NW or offshore wind we see will keep the surface glassy, like on Wednesday the 16th morning, but there’s no swell to ride.
All in all, we’ve got a long gap of almost no surf from now until the 17th, then another gap from the 18th to the 27th. The only real puff of interest is that 5 ft on the 28th. For a break that’s inconsistent, this kind of blank run is more normal. Fingers crossed the charts change, but for now, it’s a very quiet period.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Sun night, min 13°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Sat morning, min 11°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 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 10 | SW 4 | SW 3 | SW 3 | SW 4 | SW 5 | SW 6 | SW 6 | W 3 | SW 4 | SW 6 | WSW 4 | W 3 | WSW 4 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SW 5 | SW 4 | SW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
2 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 146 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 0 | 9 | 3 | 1 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 1:53PM7.10m | 2:12AM6.84m | 2:30PM6.82m | 2:48AM6.50m | 3:06PM6.41m | 3:24AM6.06m | 3:44PM5.91m | 4:03AM5.56m | 4:25PM5.38m | 4:49AM5.05m | 5:19PM4.87m | 5:57AM4.62m | 6:46PM4.53m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:40AM0.16m | 8:58PM0.20m | 9:12AM0.43m | 9:29PM0.56m | 9:43AM0.79m | 10:01PM0.97m | 10:14AM1.20m | 10:34PM1.42m | 10:49AM1.63m | 11:12PM1.85m | 11:33AM2.03m | 00:03AM2.22m | 12:34PM2.36m | 1:16AM2.45m | |||||||
6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
— | 7:13 | — | — | 7:09 | — | — | 7:07 | — | — | 7:06 | — | — | 7:04 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 6:59 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 19 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 9 | N 6 | N 5 | N 5 | SW 5 | SW 6 | SW 6 | N 6 | NE 9 | N 8 | N 8 | N 7 | N 8 | N 8 | — | — | — | SW 6 | SSW 6 | SW 6 |
2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 9 | 3 | 1 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 6 | N 5 | — | — | — | — | N 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 |
— | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 8 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 3 | SW 4 | SW 3 | SW 3 | SW 4 | WNW 3 | NW 3 | WNW 2 | W 3 | SW 4 | SW 6 | WSW 4 | W 3 | WSW 4 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SW 5 | SW 4 | N 3 | NNE 5 | — |
2 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 146 | 14 | 8 | 17 | 35 | 22 | 76 | 42 | 1 | 2 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 440 | 165 | 448 | 521 | 499 | 216 | 176 | 183 | 181 | 591 | 497 | 364 | 361 | 369 | 520 | 436 | 436 | 167 | 181 | 181 | 194 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Coast of England | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Folkestone Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Folkestone provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Folkestone can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Folkestone 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 (Folkestone) 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 Folkestone 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.
Folkestone is 1 km (1 miles) from Folkestone. If you plan a holiday in South Coast of England, look for hotels and other accommodation in Folkestone. Folkestone has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










