Surf Forecasts:
Gwithian surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 25 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SW swell with 1,538 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 24 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 6s period with SW 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 Monday (Aug 24) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 12s. 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 9s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 5s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Mon 24th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Gwithian over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Gwithian (United Kingdom) has been getting hammered by onshore winds for days, and to be honest, it’s not looking great. There’s almost a full week of rough, messy conditions before we even see a hint of a chance. The water temp is about average for this time of year at 64°.
Right now, and through the rest of this week, it’s all onshore wind—15 to 19 mph straight from the WNW and W, whipping up a lumpy, choppy mess. The swell is there, sure, with 4.3 ft to 6.9 ft of short-period windswell on offer, but the wave quality is just poor. The wind is absolutely ruining it. Tuesday the 18th through Monday the 24th is a write-off. There’s no point even looking at the water.
Now, there is a glimmer of hope. On Tuesday the 25th of August, the wind swings offshore overnight, and we wake to a clean dawn. A solid 9.8 ft SW groundswell rolls in with a period of 9 seconds. The energy is strong (1156), but the wind is a cross-off from the south at 12 mph, so the faces should be clean. That said, this is a big one—over 8 ft, so experts only at Gwithian. The problem? That same wind swings around to a fresh 19 mph from the SSE by the afternoon, and the quality drops right back off. So really, Tuesday morning is your one shot.
After that, it’s back to average-to-crappy conditions, with onshores and cross-onshore winds dominating right through to the start of September. The only other moment that might turn you on is early on Saturday the 29th of August. A tiny 3.9 ft SW swell gets glassy, dead-calm conditions in the morning. The energy is low (199), waves will be weak and small, and it’s not exactly lighting the world on fire, but if you just want to get wet without being blown off your board, it’s a possibility.
Honestly, the standout here is that Tuesday the 25th morning session. One window, one shot at some power. The rest is a long stretch of waiting.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri morning, min 14°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | N 5 | W 10 | N 5 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 4 | WSW 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 188 | 165 | 161 | 295 | 355 | 496 | 710 | 653 | 276 | 140 | 86 | 55 | 45 | 27 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 19 | 39 | 1304 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:51PM5.46m | 10:11AM5.16m | 10:33PM4.95m | 10:55AM4.73m | 11:23PM4.49m | 11:54AM4.34m | 00:34AM4.14m | 1:19PM4.14m | 2:09AM4.07m | 2:51PM4.25m | 3:28AM4.30m | 3:56PM4.59m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 3:47PM0.96m | 4:08AM1.21m | 4:26PM1.41m | 4:48AM1.66m | 5:13PM1.84m | 5:40AM2.06m | 6:18PM2.19m | 6:57AM2.32m | 7:53PM2.32m | 8:35AM2.30m | 9:23PM2.13m | 9:50AM2.01m | 10:22PM1.77m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | |  | | | |  | |  | | | | |  |  | |
 | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — |
 | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — |
mm | — | — | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 16 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SW 17 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | N 5 | WNW 6 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | W 8 | — |
| kJ | 28 | 11 | 161 | 295 | 24 | 36 | 21 | 653 | 276 | 140 | 86 | 25 | 25 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 13 | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | — | SSW 15 | — | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WNW 8 | W 10 | W 9 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | — |
| kJ | — | — | 29 | 24 | — | 22 | — | 33 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 45 | 14 | 33 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 19 | 18 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | ESE 6 | WNW 6 | W 5 | WNW 6 | N 4 | N 5 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 25 | 39 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | WNW 6 | — | — | WNW 9 | W 8 | W 9 | — | N 6 | N 6 | N 5 | N 5 | — | N 5 | N 5 | N 4 | N 4 | — | SW 3 | SW 4 | WSW 9 |
| kJ | 188 | 165 | — | — | 355 | 496 | 710 | — | 41 | 64 | 58 | 55 | — | 27 | 29 | 12 | 9 | — | 1 | 39 | 1304 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 279 | 387 | 167 | 168 | 214 | 211 | 158 | 168 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 87 | 14 | 14 | 94 | 160 | 14 | 25 | 25 | 1 | 0 |
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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