
Surf Forecasts:
Gwithian surf forecast from 14 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, N swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, N swell with 125 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period with N 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 Friday (Jul 17) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 6s. Another secondary swell of 0.3m and 3s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Gwithian in the next 16 days are 1.4m 6s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) 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 1.3m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Fri 17th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Gwithian over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a long, hard look at what Gwithian’s got cooking for the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough start. The first real sniff of anything worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until Friday the 24th. That’s a solid ten-day wait with nothing but tiny, junk waves and dodgy winds. Don’t get your hopes up before that.
Right, the early stuff: from Tuesday the 14th right through to Thursday the 23rd, we’re looking at ankle-snappers at best. Swell heights are barely scraping 2ft, periods are short, and the energy is weak. It's a write-off for proper surfing.
Now, things start to get interesting on Friday the 24th of July. The morning kicks off with a bit of a roar – a 2ft swell from the WNW, with a long period of 12 seconds, packing moderate energy (158). But that wind is a near-gale offshore at 31 mph. That’s a power kite day, not a paddle day. The afternoon cleans right up though. We get a glassy, gentle breeze, with the same 3ft swell holding and energy building to 178. Clean but a bit raw.
Saturday the 25th is where we get our first real standout. Afternoon session is the one. The wind goes glassy – dead calm – and we’ve got a 3ft groundswell from the west with a touch of energy (149). It’s surfable, but the conditions are described as “surfable but very ordinary”. Still, for the first time in a fortnight, you can actually sit out there and not get blown off your board. The water’s a touch warmer than normal for the season at 64°F, so that’s a nice bonus.
Sunday the 26th of July sees the swell start to pump up. Morning has 4ft from the west, period 9 seconds, and clean conditions with a moderate cross-off breeze. The energy is solid at 292. It's a bit stronger, but still manageable for most. The afternoon gets bigger – 5ft (372 energy) – but the wind picks up to 19 mph from the south, still cross-off but getting fresh. The westerly swell will be wrapping in nicely.
Then we hit Monday the 27th of July. This is the big one, but for experts only. We’ve got a 8ft swell from the west in the morning, and it’s packing some serious weight with energy at 716. Period drops to 8 seconds, so it’s windswell, not groundswell, but there’s a lot of water moving. Afternoon is 7ft (803 energy). This is proper, expert-level, hold-your-breath kind of stuff. It’s going to be a washing machine on the beach. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing unless you’re a seasoned local.
Tuesday the 28th is still big at 7ft, but the wind goes cross-shore and fresh, making it lumpy and choppy. Not great. Wednesday the 29th drops back to 4ft and cleaner cross-off winds, bringing the energy back down to 270. A much more manageable size for a wider range of surfers.
As for the break itself, Gwithian is a consistent, fairly exposed beginner-friendly beach, best on a WNW swell, which is what’s coming. It can get crowded here, especially on a decent day like Saturday the 25th. For the standouts, Saturday afternoon is your best bet if you want something clean and rideable without getting pounded. For the big-wave crew, Monday the 27th is the one to circle on the calendar, but that’s a promise that’s a week away and a lot can change.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 19°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Fri afternoon, min 16°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tue 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | |||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 | N 5 | N 6 | N 5 | N 5 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
37 | 31 | 15 | 14 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 45 | 61 | 32 | 22 | 40 | 42 | 77 | 66 | 33 | 59 | 18 | 11 | 22 | 34 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | off | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:00PM6.28m | 6:27AM6.15m | 6:49PM6.51m | 7:15AM6.24m | 7:36PM6.59m | 8:00AM6.19m | 8:21PM6.50m | 8:45AM6.02m | 9:06PM6.25m | 9:29AM5.75m | 9:50PM5.88m | 10:13AM5.41m | 10:35PM5.45m | 11:00AM5.06m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:30AM0.21m | 12:49PM0.24m | 1:19AM0.05m | 1:36PM0.15m | 2:06AM0.04m | 2:21PM0.20m | 2:50AM0.18m | 3:04PM0.39m | 3:34AM0.46m | 3:48PM0.69m | 4:16AM0.82m | 4:31PM1.06m | 5:00AM1.21m | ||||||||
— | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | |
— | 9:27 | — | — | 9:25 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:23 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:21 | 9:20 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 23 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 22 |
Feels °C | 20 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | SW 7 | NNW 5 | NNW 6 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | N 6 | SE 6 | ESE 5 | N 5 | SE 6 | WNW 11 | N 5 |
20 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 18 | 19 | 12 | 45 | 61 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 66 | 10 | 3 | 18 | 5 | 22 | 16 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 7 | W 10 | W 9 | SE 6 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | SW 6 | W 8 | SSW 6 | SW 5 | SW 11 | SW 11 | SW 12 | W 7 | WNW 7 | W 9 | ESE 4 | W 8 | SE 5 | WNW 10 |
23 | 31 | 15 | 10 | 15 | 12 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 34 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | SE 4 | SW 6 | W 9 | ESE 6 | SW 7 | ESE 6 | W 8 | SW 6 | SSW 13 | SW 11 | SW 5 | SW 5 | S 21 | W 10 | SW 19 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 8 | W 7 |
37 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 13 | 6 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 1 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | — | E 5 | E 6 | — | E 6 | N 5 | NW 5 | — | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | ENE 4 | N 5 | N 6 | E 5 | N 5 | N 5 | — |
255 | — | 42 | 128 | — | 54 | 16 | 10 | — | 32 | 22 | 40 | 42 | 77 | 23 | 33 | 59 | 17 | 11 | 15 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 22 | 44 | 25 | 329 | 44 | 25 | 25 | 94 | 275 | 493 | 407 | 94 | 597 | 87 | 26 | 24 | 286 | 385 | 382 | 391 | 25 |
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.











