
Surf Forecasts:
Freshwater Bay surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 6s period, WSW swell with 330 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 2.1m 6s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 06) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Freshwater Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Rusty here, and I'll be straight with you – this outlook for Freshwater Bay is a tough one. We're looking at a long, long dry spell, so if you've got a board in the car, you might wanna find something else to do for a while.
We kick off on Tuesday the 4th of August with the water already feeling like a bath – that's 70°, which is a massive 8° warmer than normal for this time of year, so very unusual. But the trade-off? The surf is tiny and messy. A weak 1ft SW swell with a short 8-second period isn't doing anything, and a cross-onshore wind is just making it choppy. The wave energy is basically nothing (19). It's a no-go.
Wednesday the 5th sees a bump in size, but it comes with a big price. The swell hits 7ft from the WSW by the afternoon, and that combined energy climbs to a moderate 330. But the period is a pathetic 6 seconds – that's just wind-chop, not surf. Plus, a 25 mph crosswind is making an absolute mess of it. This is one of those days where the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The pattern doesn't let up. Thursday the 6th through to Tuesday the 19th of August is just a parade of tiny, weak swell pulses and poor wind directions. There are a few windows with lighter offshore breezes – like Friday morning the 7th with a NNW offshore, or the morning of Saturday the 15th with a NW offshore – but the swell is pitiful, barely 1ft. The wave energy is often in single digits or low double figures. It's clean but completely flat. You could paddle a log around, but you won't be riding anything.
The strongest looking pulse comes on Wednesday the 13th afternoon with a 4ft WSW swell, but again, a short 5-second period and a gentle cross-onshore breeze makes for poor conditions. It’s just not worth the drive.
There is one date worth a look further out, but it comes with a big "maybe". On Wednesday the 19th of August, we see a morning with a WNW cross-offshore breeze and a swell that has a long period of 10 seconds. The swell height is tiny at 0.3ft, so the energy is nothing (2), but that long period is a tease. If that swell direction and period were to align with a bigger pulse, this reef and point break would fire. As it stands, it's a promise of a future swell, not today's reality.
In summary, there are no good surf options in this entire 16-day window. The forecast shows a blank run that is pretty normal for the area in this kind of settled weather pattern. Keep an eye on the charts, but don't hold your breath.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Wed afternoon, light winds from the N by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Sun morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 8 | SW 8 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 4 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | — | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | WSW 4 | WSW 6 | WSW 3 | W 4 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
17 | 86 | 69 | 96 | 330 | 133 | 31 | 52 | 24 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 9 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | off | cross | off | glassy | cross-on | off | off | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross |
High Tide | 3:28PM2.33m | 3:30AM2.18m | 4:09PM2.24m | 4:17AM2.08m | 4:56PM2.16m | 5:15AM2.00m | 5:54PM2.10m | 6:32AM1.97m | 7:11PM2.09m | 8:12AM2.02m | 8:42PM2.17m | 9:39AM2.20m | 9:56PM2.34m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:35PM0.48m | 8:55AM0.31m | 9:24PM0.59m | 9:48AM0.49m | 10:27PM0.70m | 10:58AM0.66m | 11:51PM0.73m | 12:27PM0.72m | 1:17AM0.62m | 1:46PM0.63m | 2:24AM0.40m | 2:48PM0.47m | 3:18AM0.15m | ||||||||
5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | |
— | 8:46 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:39 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:36 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 18 |
Feels °C | 19 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 6 | W 10 | WSW 5 | WSW 4 | — | W 3 | — | — | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | WSW 4 | WSW 6 | — | W 4 |
17 | — | — | — | — | — | 31 | 2 | 24 | 4 | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 10 | — | 9 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 6 | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 7 |
1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 4 | — | W 6 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 3 | SW 8 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | — | WSW 5 | NNW 3 | NNE 3 | WSW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 3 | NNW 3 | NNW 3 | WSW 3 | N 2 |
2 | 86 | 69 | 96 | 330 | 133 | — | 52 | 4 | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 248 | 322 | 268 | 346 | 346 | 268 | 303 | 406 | 311 | 315 | 322 | 356 | 611 | 303 | 249 | 218 | 1465 | 218 | 289 | 358 | 282 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Isle of Wight | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
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.











