Surf Forecasts:
Freshwater Bay surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 6s period, WSW swell with 178 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 1.7m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) 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 1.1m 5s period and expected on Monday (Aug 17) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Freshwater Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Righto, let's have a look at what's cookin' for Freshwater Bay over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with ya – it's lookin' like a pretty lean stretch for a while. We've got a run of nearly ten days where the surf is just rubbish, so don't be in any hurry.
Monday the 17th kicks off with tiny 0.3ft dribble and a light cross-off breeze, but it's honestly not worth paddling out for. That theme continues through the week; we see small, weak swells from the WSW, mostly under 5ft, with periods barely hittin' 6 seconds. The wind is all over the place – cross-off in the mornings, which cleans things up, but the afternoon sea breezes (cross-shore from the SW at 12-19 mph) put a chop on it. Thursday the 20th sees a bit of a bump, with the combined energy hittin' 178 (moderate) and the swell up to 6ft, but the period is still a short 6 seconds and that afternoon cross-shore wind just makes it lumpy. Not exactly quality time.
We finally see a little window of interest on Thursday the 27th of August. The morning kicks off with a 6ft swell from the SW, a moderate energy reading of 398 (strong), and the wind is a clean cross-off from the NW at 16 mph. That's about as good as it gets around here for the whole forecast. The afternoon holds similar size at 6ft but the rating only comes up as marginal. That morning session is your best bet for a wave, but keep in mind this is a reef and point set-up, so that SW swell will wrap in nicely. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no wetsuit surprises.
After that, it fades back into small, messy stuff. There's a pulse of long-period energy on the 31st of August and 1st of September, with periods up to 16 seconds, but the swell height is tiny at 0.7-1.0ft, so it's all just a tease. The winds pick up strong from the SW again, making it lumpy.
Honestly, if you're desperate for a paddle, the Thursday 27th morning is the only standout, but it's a slim chance. The rest of the run is pretty barren, and that's just how it goes sometimes in this neck of the woods.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Mon afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Thu afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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 7 | WSW 3 | WSW 5 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | W 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 9 | WSW 8 | E 5 | E 4 | SW 10 | SW 10 | W 9 | W 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 102 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 108 | 90 | 178 | 58 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 34 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | cross | off | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:52PM2.48m | 2:59AM2.32m | 3:26PM2.32m | 3:37AM2.15m | 4:02PM2.15m | 4:18AM1.98m | 4:42PM2.00m | 5:06AM1.84m | 5:32PM1.89m | 6:10AM1.75m | 6:40PM1.84m | 7:52AM1.76m | 8:18PM1.89m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:35AM0.04m | 7:56PM0.34m | 8:15AM0.28m | 8:38PM0.52m | 8:57AM0.54m | 9:25PM0.73m | 9:46AM0.79m | 10:28PM0.91m | 10:59AM0.98m | 00:09AM0.99m | 12:44PM1.04m | 1:35AM0.91m | 1:56PM0.95m | 2:30AM0.76m | |||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | |  | | |  | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — |
 | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:10 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 23 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 20 | 21 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | NE 4 | WSW 4 | SW 5 | WSW 8 | ESE 3 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | W 9 |
| kJ | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 58 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 9 | SW 9 | WSW 8 | W 8 | W 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | W 9 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 6 | — | W 11 | — | W 8 | — | SW 9 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | 3 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 5 | WSW 3 | WSW 5 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | W 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | NNW 3 | NNE 3 | WSW 5 | — | E 5 | E 4 | E 3 | — | — | W 3 |
| kJ | 7 | 9 | 48 | 37 | 102 | 77 | 47 | 88 | 108 | 90 | 178 | 2 | 3 | 6 | — | 34 | 13 | 2 | — | — | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 508 | 366 | 366 | 317 | 268 | 29 | 604 | 268 | 437 | 249 | 169 | 85 | 116 | 155 | 168 | 215 | 198 | 216 | 282 | 284 | 271 |
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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