Freshwater Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 50.67° N 1.51° W

Freshwater Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 26 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Freshwater Bay sea temperature is
20.7°C
3.8° 

Freshwater Bay surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Freshwater Bay surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SW swell with 1,474 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Freshwater Bay this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Freshwater Bay in the next 16 days are 3.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 6s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful10PM (Sat 29th Aug)10ft (3.0m) 9s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Freshwater Bay over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this 16-day window for Freshwater Bay (reef and point) is a tough one. The ocean is going to be angry, messy, or just plain flat for most of the run. The real story here is the weather, not the waves. We’ve got a massive warm water anomaly sitting offshore – the water temp is a whopping 4° warmer than usual for this time of year, hitting 69°. That’s very unusual and it’s going to stir up some wild, unstable conditions.

We’re looking at a long stretch of poor surf. The first real window where you might even want to paddle out doesn’t show up until Sunday, August 30th, and even then it’s marginal. The best bet on offer is the Monday morning, August 31st session. We’ve got a 7ft swell from the WSW, but the period is a short 7 seconds, so it’s gonna be a bit of a dirty, lumpy groundswell. The wind is a cross-offshore from the west, which is about as clean as it gets for this spot, but it’s a fresh breeze at 19 mph. The combined wave energy is pumping at 537 – that’s strong energy, but it’s shifty and raw. This is for intermediate crew only; 7ft is pushing it for beginners. The swell direction is SW, which is actually the optimum for this break, so the reef and point should line up when it’s not completely blown out. Expect crowds as it's 'sometimes' busy.

If you miss that Monday window, there’s a brief, quieter chance on Friday, September 4th and Saturday, September 5th mornings. On Friday, a tiny 2ft from the WSW with a light offshore NW wind and a clean 8-second period – the energy is weak (64), but it’ll be glassy. On Saturday, we get a bit more size at 5ft, still WSW, with a perfect glassy offshore from the NNW and light airs. The energy is moderate (151). Both are 'surfable but very ordinary', meaning the waves are there, but the quality is just average. The reef might offer up a few clean lines if the wind holds.

The rest of the period is a write-off. From August 26th through the 29th, it’s all cross-onshore, near gale-force winds, and rain – the wave energy spikes to 903 on the 29th, but it’s a 10ft, blown-out mess. After that first week, from September 1st onwards, it’s mostly cross-shore chop, tiny waves, or full-on flat spells. The second week is a real dud – the best you’ll see is a 2ft clean-up on the 8th, but it’s fleeting.

In short, the only real chance for a decent, clean-ish surf is Monday morning (Aug 31) and the two glassy mornings on Sept 4th and 5th. The rest is for the kite surfers or the determined. The water is warm, the wind is fickle, and the swell is just not playing ball.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Warm (max 21°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSE on Wed afternoon, strong winds from the S by Sat morning).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SW on Sat afternoon, light winds from the W by Sat night).

Wed
26
Thursday
27
Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.1
W
9
0.9
ESE
4
0.7
SE
4
0.6
SW
3
0.7
WSW
4
1
WSW
5
2.3
SW
6
2
WSW
7
2.1
SW
6
3
SW
7
3
WSW
9
1.8
WSW
10
0.8
WSW
9
2.1
WSW
6
2.2
WSW
7
1.8
WSW
10
1.4
WSW
6
1.3
WSW
6
1.1
WSW
5
0.6
WSW
5
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
2
26
19
7
11
44
439
374
320
903
1358
579
103
346
537
578
126
104
61
15
Wind (km/h)
15
SSE
20
ESE
20
SSW
20
SW
20
WSW
25
SW
35
SW
30
WSW
45
S
55
SW
40
W
20
SW
25
SSW
40
SW
30
W
35
WSW
25
WSW
30
W
30
WSW
15
WNW
Wind State
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-off
High Tide
10:53PM2.32m
11:28AM2.36m
11:28PM2.43m
12:02PM2.47m
00:02AM2.49m
12:35PM2.54m
00:37AM2.52m
1:09PM2.56m
1:12AM2.49m
1:44PM2.53m
1:48AM2.43m
2:20PM2.45m
2:28AM2.34m
Low Tide
4:20AM0.22m
4:34PM0.39m
4:52AM0.07m
5:06PM0.27m
5:24AM-0.04m
5:39PM0.19m
5:57AM-0.10m
6:14PM0.14m
6:32AM-0.10m
6:50PM0.14m
7:08AM-0.03m
7:29PM0.20m
part cloud
light rain
thunderstorm
cloud
clear
part cloud
light rain
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
part cloud
cloud
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:11
6:11
6:13
6:15
6:16
6:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:05
8:02
8:00
7:58
7:55
7:53
7:52
 mm
2
1
1
2
9
1
1
7
2
1
Temp °C
21
20
20
19
18
19
19
18
19
19
18
18
18
18
18
19
17
17
20
15
Feels °C
20
18
19
17
16
13
13
14
13
10
12
16
14
13
13
13
13
12
14
11
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
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Information about the Freshwater Bay Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Freshwater Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Freshwater Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Freshwater Bay 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 (Freshwater Bay) 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 Freshwater Bay 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.

Freshwater Bay is 16 km (10 miles) from Newport. If you plan a holiday in Isle of Wight, look for hotels and other accommodation in Newport. Newport has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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