Surf Forecasts:
Freshwater Bay surf forecast from 24 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 6s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 7s period, SW swell with 658 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.9m and 6s 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 2.5m 7s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 4AM. 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+) | 1AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Freshwater Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let's take a look at what's on the table for Freshwater Bay.
6 ft of short-period, wind-affected swell from the East – that's not what we're after. That's the scene for Monday morning, and it's a write-off. The wind is a fresh cross-shore from the East at 22 mph, just making a mess of things. The wave energy is a weak 207. We're looking at a long stretch of pretty ordinary conditions. The water temp is about average for the time of year, nothing to get excited about.
Tuesday and Wednesday are much the same story – small, weak swells with onshore winds. The combined energy drops right down to 93 and even 5, so don't even bother paddling out. Thursday sees a bit of a lift with a 4 ft swell from the SW, but the wind is still cross-shore, and the energy is a weak 59. It's a "poor surf conditions" theme all the way.
Friday the 28th brings a glimmer of hope. The wind swings to a cross-offshore from the WSW, and the swell, though small at 3 ft, has a longer period of 9 seconds. The energy climbs to 124 (moderate), and the wave comment says "clean." This is a window, but the size is small, so it's a longboard or a fish. The swell direction is WSW, which is a bit off the optimum SW, but the clean conditions are a big plus.
Saturday the 29th is a no-go, with a stormy 5 ft of short-period swell and a fresh cross-shore wind making it choppy. Sunday the 30th is also a mess, with 5 ft of wind swell and a strong breeze from the WSW. The wave energy is up to 279 (moderate), but it's all chop.
The 31st of August is a bit of a wildcard. The swell is 7 ft from the SW, period is a short 6 seconds, but the wind is a strong cross-offshore from the West. The wave comment says "clean," and the energy is 359 (moderate). That's a lot of water moving, but with a period that short, it's going to be a bumpy, walled-up mess. This is expert territory; beginners should stay well clear.
The first week of September is a mixed bag. Tuesday the 1st is flat, Wednesday the 2nd brings a 6 ft wind swell from the SW with onshore wind, and the energy is 178 (moderate). Thursday the 3rd is similar, with 6 ft and a cross-onshore wind. The energy is up to 269 (moderate), but the conditions are poor.
The standout, and I mean the *only* real standout, is the 7th of September. Monday morning. The wind is a glassy offshore from the NW at just 3 mph. The swell is a small 2 ft, but it's a long-period groundswell from the SW at 16 seconds. The energy is 204 (moderate). The wave comment says "expect good surf conditions." This is a point-and-reef setup, and that long period will wrap in beautifully. The sets will be clean, the paddle out will be easy, and the crowd profile is "sometimes," so you might have some company. This is the one to wait for. The swell is small, so it's not for the big-wave hunters, but for the rest of us, it's as good as it gets. The water temperature is about average for the time of year.
The 8th of September looks like it's back to the wind and chop, with 8 ft of short-period wind swell and a cross-on breeze. The energy is 627 (strong), but the conditions are poor. That's a stormy mess.
Overall, there's a long gap of poor surf until the 28th of August, which offers a small, clean window. The real magic is on the 7th of September with that glassy, long-period groundswell. Everything else is a write-off.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Mon morning, light winds from the SSW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Wed night, min 16°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Thu afternoon, fresh winds from the SSW by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 6 | SW 9 | SW 9 | E 6 | E 5 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | ESE 4 | SW 5 | SW 12 | SW 10 | WSW 9 | SW 5 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | WSW 7 | SW 8 | SW 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
198 | 3 | 3 | 85 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 49 | 45 | 226 | 124 | 80 | 275 | 204 | 154 | 215 | 279 | 338 | 159 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 1:09PM2.56m | 1:12AM2.49m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 5:57AM-0.10m | 6:14PM0.14m | ||||||||
6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | |
— | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:55 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 12 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 10 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 8 | ESE 4 | SW 8 | S 3 | SW 4 | SE 4 | SW 12 | SW 10 | WSW 9 | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 5 | — | W 12 |
9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 34 | 226 | 124 | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | — | 3 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 11 | — | SW 8 | — | SW 7 | SW 7 | W 8 | E 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 3 | — | 3 | — | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 9 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | E 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 5 | — | SSW 2 | — | ESE 4 | SW 5 | SW 5 | — | — | SW 5 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | WSW 7 | SW 8 | SW 6 |
198 | 275 | 267 | 85 | 23 | — | 1 | — | 10 | 49 | 45 | — | — | 80 | 275 | 204 | 154 | 215 | 279 | 338 | 159 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 595 | 183 | 248 | 114 | 249 | 198 | 285 | 311 | 268 | 248 | 108 | 24 | 24 | 165 | 0 | 248 | 268 | 211 | 604 | 515 | 375 |
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.











