Surf Forecasts:
Freshwater Bay surf forecast from 27 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 9s period, WSW swell with 2,275 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Freshwater Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Freshwater Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Freshwater Bay in the next 16 days are 4.0m 9s 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 1.4m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Freshwater Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, this is Rusty, and I'm looking straight at the charts for Freshwater Bay. Got to be honest with you, mate – it’s a pretty grim stretch ahead. We’ve got a long, long run of messy surf and poor conditions, so don’t go getting your hopes up for any quick sessions.
For the next week and a half, the story is all about cross-shore and cross-onshore winds, mostly from the SW and WSW, chopping everything up. The water temp at the start of the period is sitting around 69°F, which is a whopping 7°F warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s seriously unusual, like the ocean’s forgotten it’s nearly September. But it won’t be much comfort when you’re looking at small, weak, wind-chopped surf.
From Thursday, 27 August right through to late on Sunday, 6 September, it’s nearly all poor. We’ve got a few clean pockets on Monday morning, 31 August, with a cross-offshore breeze and a 6 ft swell from the WSW – but even that’s got weak energy (278) and a short period of just 7 seconds, so it’s pretty gutless. Then again on Tuesday morning, 1 September, we see a clean 2 ft cross-off, but it’s barely a ripple (56 energy). Friday the 4th gives a couple of clean afternoons with 3 ft waves, but again, small and weak.
Now, the one true standout in this whole 16-day window is Monday morning, 7 September. The wind finally goes offshore from the NNW at a glassy 3 mph, and we get a solid 10 ft swell from the WSW. That’s a proper pulse of energy (890), and with the clean conditions, the guidance is calling for very good surf. But here’s the catch – at 10 ft, this is strictly for experts only. That’s a serious size for the Bay, and with a period of 7 seconds it’s going to be a bit dumpy and hard to handle. Beginners, stay on the sand for this one. It’s the only day worth paddling out, but it’s a whole week and a half away, so keep an eye on the forecasts.
Overall, it’s a blank run with a single, expert-only peak right at the end. If you’re a kite surfer, the strong cross-shore winds on the 29th and 30th of August look far more interesting than anything a paddle surfer will enjoy. Hang tight.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Thu afternoon, near gales from the WSW by Sat afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the SW on Sun night, light winds from the NW by Tue night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 4 | WSW 7 | WSW 4 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | SW 6 | SW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | SW 8 | SW 6 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 8 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 4 | WSW 6 | WSW 4 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
14 | 35 | 16 | 270 | 373 | 171 | 1537 | 909 | 300 | 184 | 147 | 278 | 171 | 60 | 56 | 15 | 27 | 7 | 4 | 0 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 2:59PM2.34m | 3:13AM2.22m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 7:48AM0.11m | 8:11PM0.31m | |||||||
— | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
8:02 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:50 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 4 | — | — | — | — | WSW 6 | — | — | WSW 9 | — | — | — | — | WSW 6 | WSW 8 | — | WSW 5 | WSW 4 | WSW 6 | — |
1 | — | — | — | — | 85 | — | — | 101 | — | — | — | — | 60 | 56 | — | 27 | 7 | 4 | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 9 | — | — | — | W 8 | — | — |
1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 31 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 4 | WSW 7 | WSW 4 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | SW 6 | SW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | SW 8 | SW 6 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | — | — | WSW 4 | — | — | — | WSW 4 |
14 | 35 | 16 | 270 | 373 | 171 | 1537 | 909 | 300 | 184 | 147 | 278 | 171 | — | — | 15 | — | — | — | 7 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 268 | 260 | 378 | 112 | 400 | 351 | 171 | 112 | 109 | 622 | 317 | 209 | 248 | 0 | 29 | 268 | 201 | 221 | 268 | 322 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Isle of Wight | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











