Surf Forecasts:
Gwithian surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 8s period, WNW swell with 414 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Gwithian this week:
The surf forecast for Gwithian over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Gwithian in the next 16 days are 1.7m 8s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Gwithian over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, it’s your mate Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer.
First up, the water temp at Gwithian is sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Not a huge deal, but it’s nice.
Right, the forecast… Well, to be honest, it’s a pretty grim run for the next couple of weeks. We’ve got a solid 16-day window, but the surf is really struggling. The first few days are surfable but nothing to write home about.
Wednesday morning the 12th of August, Gwithian is your best bet. We’ve got a clean 3 ft swell from the west, with a moderate offshore breeze from the ESE at 16 mph. The swell energy is weak (127), and it’s a beginner-friendly spot, so if you’re just getting started, it’s okay. The afternoon sees a bit of a drop in wind, cross-off from the SSE, but the swell stays small.
From Thursday morning the 13th, things take a dive. The wind swings onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is small and messy. The energy picks up a bit on Thursday (319), but with NNW wind and poor conditions, it’s not worth paddling out. The rest of that week, right through to the 20th, is a write-off – strong onshore winds, lumpy, choppy, and the swell is either too small or blown out. The 20th of August sees a 7 ft swell from the WNW, but with a strong breeze and messy conditions, that’s expert-only and not clean.
There’s a gap of several days there with no real recommendations. You’d be wasting your time.
Then on the 21st of August, Friday morning, we get a bit of a break. The wind turns light and cross-off from the east at 6 mph, and we’ve got a 4 ft west swell with a period of 8 seconds. The energy is moderate (255), and the conditions are clean. It’s still just “surfable but ordinary,” but it’s the best we’ve seen in a while.
The 22nd of August, Saturday morning, offers a similar story: 2 ft west swell, light cross-off from the NE, clean but small.
From the 23rd of August, we get a weird little pulse from the SW with a long 14-second period, but the swell is tiny at 1.0 ft. That’s not going to do anything at Gwithian.
The 24th of August brings a 5 ft WSW swell, but the wind is cross-onshore again, and it’s choppy.
The rest of the run into the 27th of August is more of the same – onshore winds, messy conditions, and small to moderate swell. There’s no standout day in the second week. The energy values are moderate at best (around 300-325), but the wind is always wrong.
Honestly, for paddle surfing, this is a tough outlook. Gwithian is a consistent spot, but the wind is just not playing ball. If you’re into kite surfing, there’s plenty of wind and some swell, so it might be more interesting for that.
Keep an eye on the 21st of August – that’s your best chance for a clean session, but don’t expect much.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Mon afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Sun afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | WNW 7 | W 7 | WSW 4 | WNW 7 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
125 | 139 | 180 | 319 | 284 | 219 | 159 | 185 | 165 | 108 | 95 | 55 | 38 | 35 | 16 | 8 | 26 | 285 | 128 | 65 | 114 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 5:50PM6.32m | 6:15AM6.18m | 6:35PM6.60m | 6:58AM6.34m | 7:17PM6.70m | 7:38AM6.36m | 7:56PM6.61m | 8:16AM6.22m | 8:35PM6.34m | 8:54AM5.95m | 9:13PM5.94m | 9:32AM5.59m | 9:51PM5.46m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:51AM0.44m | 00:20AM0.14m | 12:36PM0.15m | 1:03AM-0.06m | 1:17PM0.02m | 1:43AM-0.08m | 1:56PM0.05m | 2:21AM0.08m | 2:34PM0.24m | 2:57AM0.37m | 3:10PM0.56m | 3:32AM0.76m | 3:47PM0.96m | ||||||||
6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | |
— | 8:46 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:38 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 |
Temp °C | 26 | 28 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 |
Feels °C | 23 | 26 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | WNW 7 | W 7 | WNW 9 | SW 16 | W 7 | N 4 | SSW 17 |
125 | 139 | 180 | 319 | 284 | 219 | 159 | 185 | 165 | 108 | 95 | 55 | 38 | 35 | 16 | 8 | 16 | 10 | 128 | 3 | 29 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | — | ESE 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 13 | — | — | SW 12 | WSW 8 | SW 18 | N 5 | N 4 | — | — | N 5 | SW 17 | W 10 |
1 | — | 8 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | — | — | 6 | 6 | 13 | 1 | 3 | — | — | 7 | 11 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | — | — | — | — | S 11 | S 13 | S 11 | S 10 | — | — | S 20 | S 12 | S 18 | SW 18 | W 10 | SW 18 | — | SW 17 | — | — |
1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 7 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 12 | — | 11 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 3 | SE 3 | — | — | NW 3 | WNW 3 | — | — | — | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 4 | N 4 | — | WSW 4 | WNW 7 | — | W 6 | W 6 |
4 | 6 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | 27 | 36 | 37 | 17 | 9 | 5 | — | 26 | 285 | — | 65 | 114 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 0 | 8 | 14 | 211 | 5 | 94 | 239 | 13 | 308 | 279 | 14 | 329 | 254 | 397 | 588 | 539 | 168 | 214 | 211 | 211 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Gwithian Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Gwithian provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Gwithian can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Gwithian 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 (Gwithian) 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 Gwithian 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.
Gwithian is 6 km (4 miles) from Camborne. If you plan a holiday in North Cornwall, look for hotels and other accommodation in Camborne. Camborne has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











