Surf Forecasts:
Harlyn surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, SSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 8s period, WNW swell with 449 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period with SSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Harlyn this week:
The surf forecast for Harlyn over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 8s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 12s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Harlyn in the next 16 days are 1.9m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 1PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Harlyn over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Harlyn’s got cookin’ for us.
Right off the bat, this ain’t exactly firing. We’re looking at a stretch of small, weak, and mostly messy stuff for the first week or so. The water’s cooking at about 66°F, which is way warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s a solid 4°F above normal, so you might not even need a full winter suit.
The opening days are pretty grim. Friday the 21st through to Sunday the 23rd of August are all small surf with onshore or cross-shore wind, barely reaching 3ft at best. The wave energy is weak to moderate at best. Nothing to get excited about there. The beginning of the next week (Monday 24th) is even smaller, with fresh easterly winds making a mess of things. You’d be better off doing something else.
There’s a glimmer through the middle of the week – on Wednesday the 26th and Thursday the 27th of August we see the swell pick up. On Wednesday morning, we get a clean 2ft wave with offshore wind, and by Thursday afternoon we’re looking at a solid 6ft swell from the WNW with moderate energy. The wind is cross-offshore, so it’ll be clean, but that swell size puts it in the “getting a bit big for beginners” territory. For the experienced crew, that Thursday afternoon window could be a goer.
Now, the standout window really shapes up from the end of the month and into the first few days of September. We’ve got some decent sized swell rolling in with moderate to strong energy. On Monday the 31st of August, we see a 7ft W swell – that’s strong stuff, best left for the experts, as it’s over 8ft. The wind is cross-offshore, so the shape should be there. Then, Tuesday the 1st of September looks like the best day of the whole run. The morning session is the pick: a clean 7ft W swell with strong energy and a gentle offshore wind. That combo is proper. The swell is right in the sweet spot for size, and it’s got energy. The water will still be warm, but the air might be a bit showery. Harlyn is a sheltered spot best for a WNW, so this W swell will wrap in okay. The crowds are listed as “often”, so expect company, but for that quality, it’ll be worth it.
After that, things fade back down quickly into the first week of September, with the swell dropping to under 3ft and clean but small conditions. There’s a brief moment on the morning of Thursday the 3rd of September with glassy conditions, but only 2ft, so it’s a longboard day at best.
So, the real highlight? Hands down, the morning of Tuesday the 1st of September. That’s the one to pencil in. The late morning of Monday the 31st of August is a very close second if you can handle the bigger stuff. The rest of the run is either too small, too windy, or too ordinary to get the heart pumping.
Stay tuned, forecasts can change.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Sun morning, fresh winds from the E by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 22°C on Mon afternoon, min 17°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Tue night, near gales from the SSE by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 10 | W 9 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | SW 12 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 13 | W 9 | NNE 5 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | SSW 7 | SW 7 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
119 | 90 | 32 | 44 | 40 | 21 | 20 | 39 | 38 | 8 | 17 | 7 | 20 | 49 | 42 | 39 | 99 | 62 | 142 | 449 | 239 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:59AM4.65m | 00:39AM4.43m | 1:23PM4.42m | 2:13AM4.35m | 2:55PM4.54m | 3:34AM4.59m | 4:02PM4.90m | 4:28AM4.98m | 4:48PM5.36m | 5:09AM5.41m | 5:26PM5.81m | 5:44AM5.82m | 6:00PM6.22m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:22PM2.34m | 7:02AM2.49m | 7:57PM2.48m | 8:40AM2.46m | 9:27PM2.28m | 9:54AM2.15m | 10:26PM1.90m | 10:44AM1.73m | 11:10PM1.46m | 11:23AM1.30m | 11:46PM1.04m | 11:57AM0.90m | 00:19AM0.68m | ||||||||
6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | 1 |
Temp °C | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 10 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 5 | N 6 | W 9 | W 9 | NNW 4 | SW 12 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | NE 4 | W 9 | NNE 5 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | SW 7 | W 8 | SSW 7 | SSW 7 |
119 | 90 | 15 | 39 | 40 | 14 | 6 | 39 | 38 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 18 | 49 | 42 | 39 | 32 | 62 | 142 | 21 | 5 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | W 8 | W 10 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | W 9 | NNW 4 | WSW 14 | N 4 | W 9 | SW 9 | WNW 10 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 12 | W 8 | SSW 7 | — | SW 12 |
7 | 7 | 32 | 44 | 21 | 21 | 14 | 6 | 19 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 6 | 29 | 21 | — | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 15 | SW 12 | — | WSW 14 | W 8 | — | W 9 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 8 | NNE 5 | SW 13 | SW 12 | — | SW 12 | WNW 10 | — | — |
10 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 6 | — | 20 | 5 | — | 7 | 17 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 6 | — | 6 | 20 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | — | N 5 | N 5 | — | — | N 4 | E 3 | ESE 3 | NE 3 | E 4 | SSE 3 | SSW 3 | SSW 5 | SSW 7 | — | — | WNW 8 | WNW 7 |
55 | 33 | 19 | — | 19 | 15 | — | — | 3 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 99 | — | — | 449 | 239 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 69 | 246 | 2 | 2 | 68 | 48 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 390 | 227 | 214 | 214 | 31 | 10 | 249 | 123 | 87 | 230 | 299 | 253 |
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)
Information about the Harlyn Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Harlyn provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Harlyn can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Harlyn 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 (Harlyn) 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 Harlyn 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.
Harlyn is 6 km (4 miles) from Padstow. If you plan a holiday in North Cornwall, look for hotels and other accommodation in Padstow. Padstow has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










