Surf Forecasts:
Gwithian surf forecast from 14 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 8s period, WNW swell with 686 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Gwithian this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Gwithian in the next 16 days are 2.3m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.1m 13s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Gwithian over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let's have a look at what Gwithian's got cooking for us. I gotta be honest, it's a bit of a rough patch ahead. The whole 16-day stretch is looking pretty average. The swell fills in a few times, but the wind is almost always onshore or cross-shore, keeping things messy and choppy. If you're a learner just wanting to splash around, there might be a sliver of a chance, but for a decent wave, you're going to need patience.
The water temp is about 65°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so at least you won't be shivering on the paddle out.
The first real pulse of swell hits on the 19th of August, with waves around 6 ft and energy jumping up to 374. But it's coming from the WNW with a short 7-second period, and a fresh 30 km/h onshore breeze is going to have it all blown out. By the 20th, the swell is still around 5 ft, but the wind swings cross-onshore, leaving it lumpy. Hard pass.
After that, it goes quiet. We get a really interesting long-period swell from the southwest on the 23rd, with a 14-second period, but the wave height is a measly 1 ft. The morning of the 23rd is actually clean with a light cross-offshore breeze, but there's just no wave to ride. It's a cruel tease.
The biggest energy shows up right at the end, on the 29th of August. Saturday afternoon shows a massive spike in combined energy, hitting 1417, with a 8 ft swell from the SSW. That's a lot of power, but it's a short 8-second period, with a cross-onshore wind, and the report calls it marginal. For experts only, and even then, it's a fight. Since Gwithian is a beach setup, all that onshore wind is going to make it a much better playground for the kite surfers than the paddle crew.
Honestly, I'd be looking for a different spot over the next two weeks. Gwithian is usually reliable, but this forecast is a real stinker. The only chance, and it's a slim one, is the early morning of the 23rd for that clean, tiny groundswell, but don't get your hopes up.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Fri afternoon, min 16°C on Sat afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | ||||||||||||||
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 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 123 | 165 | 102 | 95 | 54 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 39 | 96 | 69 | 69 | 66 | 139 | 160 | 326 | 686 | 249 | 106 | 120 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 10:11AM5.16m | 10:33PM4.95m | 10:55AM4.73m | 11:23PM4.49m | |||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 4:08AM1.21m | 4:26PM1.41m | 4:48AM1.66m | 5:13PM1.84m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | | | | | | |  |  | | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | 8:43 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:38 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 19 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 9 | SW 18 | W 8 | W 8 | W 6 | SSW 17 | WNW 11 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 |
| kJ | 123 | 165 | 102 | 95 | 54 | 18 | 16 | 8 | 39 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 66 | 29 | 88 | 24 | 36 | 249 | 73 | 120 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | SW 13 | — | — | SW 12 | NNE 4 | N 4 | SW 18 | SW 18 | — | SW 16 | SSW 17 | SW 17 | — | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | — | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 10 |
| kJ | 3 | 7 | — | — | 6 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 12 | — | 10 | 28 | 11 | — | 24 | 24 | — | 113 | 106 | 29 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 11 | S 10 | — | — | S 20 | WSW 7 | SW 18 | — | — | — | S 19 | — | W 8 | — | — | — | — | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | — | — | 7 | 11 | 13 | — | — | — | 7 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 21 | 54 | 19 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 2 | NNE 3 | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | — | N 5 | N 5 |
| kJ | 1 | 2 | 44 | 20 | 34 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 31 | 96 | 69 | 69 | 43 | 139 | 160 | 326 | 686 | — | 35 | 16 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 31 | 14 | 407 | 235 | 28 | 14 | 253 | 246 | 396 | 211 | 279 | 275 | 5 | 236 | 739 | 214 | 283 | 115 | 168 | 13 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Cornwall | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Gwithian surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest