Surf Forecasts:
Gwithian surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 10s period, WSW swell with 1,962 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 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 26) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. 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 3.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Gwithian over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Gwithian has in store for us over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a grim picture for the first week and a half. We’re looking at a long, frustrating gap here. The first real surf worth paddling out for doesn’t show up until Tuesday the 3rd of September. Before that, from today through Monday the 2nd, it’s just a write-off. The swell is small, the wind is mostly onshore or cross-shore, and the wave comment is just "poor surf conditions" over and over. You’d be wasting your time and energy. There is a pulse of energy on Saturday the 29th of August with a 8ft swell (swell energy of 958), but with a near gale cross-onshore wind, it’s blown to bits. Not worth it.
After all that waiting, the outlook finally gets interesting. The best window looks like the morning of Wednesday the 4th of September. Yes, it’s more than a week away, so don’t hold me to it, but the models are pointing to something good. We’ve got a 7ft swell rolling in from the WNW, with a nice long period of 11 seconds. That’s proper groundswell, full of energy (swell energy of 966) and it’s gonna wrap in clean. The wind is moderate and cross-shore, so it won't be glassy, but it'll be workable. This is a solid size – over 5ft – so it’s getting a bit much for the beginners, but for the rest of you, this is the one to circle on the calendar. Gwithian is fairly exposed to a WNW swell, so this is bang on the money.
The water temp is sitting at 63°F for the first record, which is about average for this time of year with a tiny 0.9°F anomaly.
Sadly, that little window of hope fades fast. By the Friday afternoon the wind swings onshore again and it gets choppy, and the rest of the week into the 9th sees more messy, cross-onshore conditions with building size but poor quality. The swell gets big – up to 12ft on Monday the 7th – but it’s accompanied by strong onshore winds and a messy state, making it more of a kite-surfing show than a paddle-surfing one.
So, bottom line: hold tight through the doldrums. The standout is the morning of Wednesday the 4th of September for a proper groundswell at Gwithian. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got by a long shot. After that, it’s back to waiting.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Fri night. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri night, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Fri night, strong winds from the WSW by Sat morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | W 8 | W 8 | SSW 8 | SW 7 | WSW 7 | SW 8 | SW 7 | SSW 6 | SW 7 | WSW 9 | W 10 | W 10 | WSW 8 | W 7 | W 8 | W 10 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 49 | 31 | 28 | 92 | 151 | 108 | 179 | 132 | 115 | 589 | 1615 | 1872 | 598 | 583 | 570 | 608 | 625 | 666 | 628 | 755 | 487 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 5:03AM5.05m | 5:20PM5.44m | 5:38AM5.43m | 5:53PM5.82m | 6:10AM5.76m | 6:25PM6.13m | 6:42AM6.01m | 6:57PM6.33m | 7:14AM6.17m | 7:30PM6.41m | 7:48AM6.22m | 8:04PM6.36m | 8:23AM6.13m | 8:41PM6.16m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:19AM1.21m | 11:42PM0.97m | 11:53AM0.84m | 00:15AM0.63m | 12:26PM0.54m | 00:46AM0.37m | 12:57PM0.34m | 1:18AM0.22m | 1:29PM0.24m | 1:50AM0.20m | 2:02PM0.26m | 2:22AM0.30m | 2:37PM0.41m | 2:58AM0.53m | |||||||
 |  |  | | |  |  | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — |
 | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — |
mm | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 10 | WSW 7 | SW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 5 | — | — | W 10 | W 10 | SSW 7 | — | W 8 | N 5 | — | SW 18 | W 8 | SW 16 |
| kJ | 49 | 31 | 28 | 20 | 31 | 108 | 179 | 23 | 20 | — | — | 1872 | 598 | 131 | — | 608 | 9 | — | 12 | 568 | 10 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 7 | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | ESE 5 | SE 5 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | NW 5 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 6 | — | S 18 | S 12 | SW 17 | S 11 |
| kJ | 14 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 26 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | — | 6 | 3 | 12 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 12 | S 4 | WNW 10 | — | SW 12 | SW 11 | N 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 12 | SW 11 |
| kJ | 6 | 6 | 1 | 10 | — | 5 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 4 | SSE 4 | ESE 3 | SSW 8 | SW 7 | SSW 6 | — | SW 7 | SSW 6 | SW 7 | WSW 9 | — | SSW 7 | WSW 8 | W 7 | — | W 10 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 |
| kJ | 4 | 7 | 2 | 92 | 151 | 68 | — | 132 | 115 | 589 | 1615 | — | 139 | 583 | 570 | — | 625 | 666 | 628 | 755 | 487 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 1 | 390 | 190 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 211 | 391 | 407 | 211 | 5 | 246 | 257 | 167 | 214 | 191 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 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.
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