Freshwater Bay Surf Break

Lat Long: 50.67° N 1.51° W

Freshwater Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 am 28 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Freshwater Bay sea temperature is
20.8°C
4.0° 

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 28 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Monday 31 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 9s period, SW swell with 2,065 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 31 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 9s 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 Monday (Aug 31) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 9s period. 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 3.5m 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 1.6m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 02) at 10PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7PM (Mon 31st Aug)5ft (1.5m) 9s
Best Surf 7PM (Mon 31st Aug)5ft (1.5m) 9s
Most Powerful 7PM (Sat 29th Aug)11ft (3.5m) 9s

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


The Lowdown

G'day, I'm Rusty. Let's be straight up with you – the next couple of weeks ain't looking flash for a proper paddle at Freshwater Bay. Most of the time, the conditions are just going to be poor for surfing, with messy winds and weak, inconsistent swell. There are no real standout sessions where everything lines up and you'd be calling in sick for work. The energy, when it shows, is mostly in the moderate range, like a combined 178 or 264, but it's never backed up by clean winds.

Friday the 28th of August kicks things off with a weak 3ft swell from the WSW and a moderate cross-shore wind. It's not worth getting wet for. The afternoon jumps to 6ft, but that comes with a strong 25 mph cross-shore, creating a messy cross-chop. Saturday the 29th is worse – onshore wind in the morning and a near-gale cross-onshore in the afternoon blowing out a 10ft south-west swell. That size is getting into the too-big-for-beginners zone, but with that wind, it's a write-off. Sunday is more of the same: lumpy, cross-onshore, and not fun.

We get a small window Monday the 31st of August morning. There's a clean, 7ft swell from the WSW with a fresh cross-offshore breeze. That's the closest thing to a decent wave this week, but the energy is only moderate (394) and the period is a short 7 seconds, so it won't have much punch. After that, it fades fast. Tuesday the 1st of September drops to ankle-slapping 2ft. Wednesday is even smaller. The end of the first week and start of the second is just flat or tiny, with a few light breezes but no swell to speak of. There's a small bump on Thursday the 3rd of September – a 6ft swell in the morning – but it's mushy with a cross-chop.

For the second week, the outlook is grim. From the 6th of September onwards, the swell drops to nearly nothing. A 1.0ft swell on Sunday the 6th, then flat as a tack by the 7th and 8th. There's a little pulse of 4ft on the 12th of September, but it's from a short-period WSW windswell with a strong cross-shore wind, so it will be choppy and ugly. Honestly, for the whole 16-day run, there's nothing I can recommend over another.

If you're a kitesurfer, you might get some fun on Saturday the 29th of August with that strong cross-onshore wind and a 10ft swell. For the rest of us on a paddleboard or a shortboard, it's a long stretch of flat, poor conditions. The water temp at the start is a very unusual 69°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won't freeze waiting for a wave that doesn't come.

Keep your board in the car, check the forecast next week, because sometimes it changes, but right now, it's a blank run.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Moderate rain (total 17mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Warm (max 20°C on Fri morning, min 16°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SW on Sat afternoon, moderate winds from the WSW by Sat night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Mon night, fresh winds from the WSW by Wed night).

Friday
28
Saturday
29
Sunday
30
Monday
31
Tuesday
1
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
AM
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
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
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)
0.8
WSW
4
1.7
WSW
6
1.7
WSW
6
1.5
SSW
5
3
SW
8
2.5
WSW
9
1.3
WSW
9
1.4
SW
5
2.5
WSW
7
2
WSW
7
1.6
WSW
9
1.1
WSW
9
0.6
WSW
9
0.6
WSW
7
0.5
WSW
4
0.4
WSW
4
1.2
WSW
5
2
WSW
6
1.9
WSW
7
2.5
WSW
7
1.8
WSW
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
16
178
218
133
1117
1157
264
107
638
394
389
199
55
32
11
8
63
295
326
603
279
Wind (km/h)
25
WSW
40
SW
30
WSW
40
S
50
SW
35
W
25
SW
30
SW
40
WSW
30
W
25
WSW
15
WNW
10
W
25
SW
15
W
20
W
30
WSW
35
WSW
25
WSW
40
WSW
35
WSW
Wind State
cross
cross
cross
on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross
cross
cross
cross
High Tide
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
3:44PM2.22m
Low Tide
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
8:32AM0.31m
9:00PM0.48m
clear
clear
part cloud
mod rain
rain showers
rain showers
cloud
rain showers
thunderstorm
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
cloud
rain showers
part cloud
part cloud
cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:11
6:13
6:15
6:16
6:18
6:20
6:22
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:00
7:58
7:55
7:53
7:52
7:50
7:47
 mm
7
3
1
2
4
2
Temp °C
20
19
18
19
19
18
19
19
17
19
20
16
18
19
17
19
18
18
19
19
18
Feels °C
15
12
13
13
11
14
14
14
11
14
16
13
16
16
15
16
14
14
17
14
14
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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