
Surf Forecasts:
Freshwater Bay surf forecast from 3 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 6 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period, WSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 6s period, WSW swell with 279 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 6 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 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 Thursday (Aug 06) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.1m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 10s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Freshwater Bay in the next 16 days are 1.9m 6s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 06) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Thu 6th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Wed 5th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Freshwater Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this is a rough stretch for Freshwater Bay. The next 16 days are looking pretty grim, with no standout sessions to get excited about. The forecast is basically a long run of small, weak, and messy surf, with a few brief moments that might get your heart racing a little, but nothing that’s going to have you calling in sick.
Right off the bat, Monday the 3rd and Tuesday the 4th are a write-off. Tiny little waves, 0.7 ft to 1 ft, with cross-onshore winds making things choppy and unappealing. The combined swell energy is barely a whisper (39 and 18 on Monday, 21 and 59 on Tuesday). Not worth paddling out.
Wednesday the 5th does see a bit of a bump. The swell jumps to 5 ft in the morning from the WSW, with a short period of 6 seconds. The combined energy climbs to 191 (moderate), and the wind is cross-off, so it’ll be clean. The afternoon gets a bit bigger at 6 ft, but the wind swings cross and gets fresh, turning it lumpy. The short period (6 secs) means it’s going to be a bit of a washing machine, not the kind of wave that holds shape. It’s surfable, but not great.
Thursday the 6th morning is a ghost town—zero swell. The afternoon sees a 4 ft spike from the WSW, but again, short period (5 secs) and cross-shore wind make it a messy, lumpy affair. The energy is only 95 (weak).
Friday the 7th morning is a total tease. The swell is tiny, 1 ft, but the wind is glassy. It’s clean as a whistle, but there’s nothing to ride. A real shame.
The weekend and into the following week are more of the same: tiny waves, poor winds, and very low energy (single-digit and low double-digit numbers). The combined swell energy barely cracks 10 most of the time. You’ll see a few cleaner moments, like Sunday the 9th morning with a light NE breeze, but the swell is 0.3 ft. It’s a lake.
The 12th through the 14th show a little more promise. The swell bumps up to 3 ft on the 12th Wednesday morning, from the east, with a light W wind and clean conditions. Combined energy hits 52. It’s not big, but it’s the most interesting thing in the whole run. The wind goes offshore on the 14th Friday morning (NNW 15 mph), but the swell is back down to 1 ft.
The 16th (Sunday) morning sees a 4 ft swell from the WSW, with a 7-second period, and the energy jumps to 134 (moderate). The wind is a gentle cross-shore, creating a slight chop. It’s probably the biggest swell of the whole period, but it’s still weak and messy. The afternoon is similar at 4 ft and 161 energy.
Bottom line: There’s nothing here that qualifies as a standout. The water temperature is a wild 70°F, which is a massive 8°F warmer than normal for this time of year—very unusual, and you’ll feel it. Surf camps are going to be a tough sell. The best bet is the Wednesday morning of the 5th for the cleanest 5 ft waves, or the 12th Wednesday morning for the cleanest 3 ft easterly swell. But even then, it’s marginal. The rest of the forecast is a long, flat, and choppy reality. If you’re a kite surfer, some of those afternoons with fresh cross-shore wind and a bit of chop might be more interesting than for a paddle surfer.
Hang in there, folks. Forecasts change. But for now, don’t hold your breath.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Mon afternoon, fresh winds from the WSW by Wed afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Thu afternoon, calm by Fri morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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 5 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 8 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 3 | WSW 4 | W 9 | WSW 4 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
23 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 33 | 134 | 191 | 230 | 45 | 0 | 95 | 36 | 7 | 4 | 15 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 5 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 2:52PM2.39m | 2:50AM2.27m | 3:28PM2.33m | 3:30AM2.18m | 4:09PM2.24m | 4:17AM2.08m | 4:56PM2.16m | 5:15AM2.00m | 5:54PM2.10m | 6:32AM1.97m | 7:11PM2.09m | 8:12AM2.02m | 8:42PM2.17m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:52PM0.39m | 8:11AM0.17m | 8:35PM0.48m | 8:55AM0.31m | 9:24PM0.59m | 9:48AM0.49m | 10:27PM0.70m | 10:58AM0.66m | 11:51PM0.73m | 12:27PM0.72m | 1:17AM0.62m | 1:46PM0.63m | 2:24AM0.40m | ||||||||
5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | |
— | 8:47 | — | — | 8:46 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:39 | — | — | 8:37 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 22 |
Feels °C | 21 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 19 | 18 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 9 | ESE 4 | SW 8 | SW 8 | WSW 8 | — | — | — | WSW 8 | — | — | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | W 10 | WSW 4 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | SW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 7 |
16 | 5 | 17 | 17 | 33 | — | — | — | 45 | — | — | 36 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 5 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 8 | E 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 10 | — | W 10 | — | — | — | W 9 | — | — |
— | 18 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | — | — | WSW 3 | SW 4 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | NW 3 | — | WSW 3 | — | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | W 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 3 | W 3 |
23 | — | — | 4 | 26 | 134 | 191 | 230 | 106 | 47 | 95 | 1 | — | 4 | — | 3 | 12 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 156 | 211 | 198 | 248 | 371 | 405 | 375 | 826 | 249 | 343 | 384 | 219 | 322 | 356 | 356 | 284 | 609 | 177 | 196 | 260 | 260 |
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.











