Surf Forecasts:
Freshwater Bay surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 7s period, WSW swell with 748 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 2.5m 7s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Freshwater Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the next couple weeks.
To be straight with you, the 16-day window at Freshwater Bay is a tough one. There’s no surf worth getting wet for, pretty much the whole run. We’ve got a long stretch of little to no rideable swell, and when a bit of size shows up, the wind is just trashing it. This is one of those quiet spells where the ocean just goes to sleep, and it’s gonna stay that way for a while.
Right from the start on Sunday, August 23rd, it’s flat. We’re talking a tiny 0.3ft swell from the west with a period of 9 seconds, but the energy is basically nothing (3). The water temp is sitting at 70°, which is a whopping 7° warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual, feels like a bath, but it’s not gonna help the waves.
We get a bit of a pulse on Monday, August 24th, with a morning swell jumping to 6ft from the east, period a short 6 seconds, and the energy is moderate (194). But here’s the killer: the wind is howling from the east at 22 mph, blowing cross-shore and making it lumpy. It’s a messy, blown-out chop. Not for surfing.
The same story plays out for the next week. Tuesday and Wednesday, August 25th and 26th, see the swell drop back down to below 4ft, with weak energy and the wind still on the wrong side. By Friday, August 28th, we’ve got a clean-looking cross-offshore wind on the Saturday morning, August 29th, and a solid 7ft swell from the west-southwest with strong energy (321). But the period is only 6 seconds, and the wind is howling cross-off at 22 mph. That’s gonna be a bumpy, short-period mess. It’s actually more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing with that strong breeze.
The following week, from the 1st of September onward, is a real letdown. We see a few clean mornings with light winds, but the swell is tiny – 2ft or less. The energy is weak (44 or less). The only real highlight is a 4ft swell from the west-southwest on the morning of Sunday, September 6th, but the wind is cross-onshore at 16 mph from the southeast, making it choppy and poor.
So, the honest truth is there’s no standout, no hidden gem, no best session on offer. If you’re desperate for a paddle, maybe the cleanest morning is Saturday, September 5th, with a light offshore wind, but you’ll be bobbing around on 0.7ft of nothing. We’re looking at a two-week gap, really. Sometimes it’s just like this, and you gotta wait for the next change.
Take it easy, Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Mon afternoon, calm by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Wed morning, fresh winds from the WSW by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | E 6 | SW 9 | SW 9 | E 6 | E 5 | E 4 | W 10 | SSW 4 | E 3 | SE 4 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 7 | SW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 2 | 5 | 47 | 185 | 3 | 3 | 85 | 37 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 6 | 112 | 93 | 67 | 91 | 376 | 321 | 665 | 298 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:18PM1.89m | 9:27AM1.88m | 9:31PM2.03m | 10:16AM2.05m | 10:16PM2.18m | 10:53AM2.21m | 10:53PM2.32m | 11:28AM2.36m | 11:28PM2.43m | 12:02PM2.47m | 00:02AM2.49m | 12:35PM2.54m | 00:37AM2.52m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:56PM0.95m | 2:30AM0.76m | 2:45PM0.82m | 3:12AM0.58m | 3:25PM0.67m | 3:48AM0.39m | 4:00PM0.52m | 4:20AM0.22m | 4:34PM0.39m | 4:52AM0.07m | 5:06PM0.27m | 5:24AM-0.04m | 5:39PM0.19m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — |
 | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SW 8 | E 4 | SSW 4 | WSW 4 | SE 4 | SW 8 | SW 10 | SW 8 | SSE 4 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 112 | 35 | 67 | 8 | — | — | — | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 14 | — | — | — | — | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | SW 8 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 10 | SSE 3 | — | — | W 13 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 | — | — | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 5 | E 4 | SSW 3 | — | E 3 | SW 4 | — | SW 8 | S 4 | SW 7 | SW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 |
| kJ | 1 | 5 | 47 | 185 | 273 | 251 | 85 | 37 | 12 | 2 | — | 8 | 5 | — | 93 | 9 | 91 | 376 | 321 | 665 | 298 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 216 | 241 | 216 | 595 | 232 | 248 | 114 | 268 | 198 | 198 | 216 | 279 | 222 | 110 | 99 | 114 | 423 | 430 | 477 | 171 | 248 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Isle of Wight | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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