Surf Forecasts:
Harlyn surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s period, W swell with 495 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period with W 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 Saturday (Aug 22) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Harlyn in the next 16 days are 1.7m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Harlyn over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. I’ve had a proper look at the charts for Harlyn, and I’ll be honest with you – it’s a tough stretch ahead. The forecast is pretty grim for the majority of the next 16 days, with very few windows that are worth paddling out for. The swell energy is on the weaker side, and the wind’s going to be a real pain most of the time.
Right now, through Thursday the 20th and into Friday, it’s a write-off. We’ve got a 7ft cross-on swell from the west on Thursday morning, but with a strong onshore breeze, it’s just lumpy and messy. Combined energy is sitting at 718 (moderate), but the quality is poor. Thursday afternoon is not much better, and Friday stays small and ugly. Saturday the 22nd is tiny with a weak 3ft cross-shore wind swell, and by Sunday the 23rd, it drops to near flat – 0.7ft with a very long period (14 seconds) but almost no energy (35). That’s a glassy morning though, so if you’re desperate for a knee-padder, you could go for a float, but it’s not surf.
We then have a long, flat spell from Monday the 24th right through to Wednesday the 26th. The swell is tiny – 0.7ft to 1ft – and the energy is in the double digits (18 to 45). The wind is offshore or cross-off, so the water will look clean, but there’s simply nothing to ride. It’s a proper gap of several days with no recommendations.
Things start to pick up a little on Wednesday the 26th of August. We get a 5ft swell from the southwest, with a fresh offshore wind from the south at 19 mph. That’s clean, but the period is short (8 seconds) and the combined energy is 289 (moderate). It’s still rated as poor surf, but at least the wind is working for us. Thursday morning the 27th is the first real standout. The swell drops to 4ft from the west, but the wind goes light offshore from the southwest at 9 mph. The water is clean, the energy is 245 (moderate), and it’s surfable. The waves will be soft and short-period, but it’s the best we’ve seen in a week. That morning is your best bet for a clean, small-wave session.
Friday the 28th sees a bigger pulse – 6ft in the morning, with a fresh offshore wind from the south-southwest at 19 mph. The energy jumps to 332 (moderate). By Friday afternoon, the swell hits 10ft from the west, but the period is still short (8 seconds), and the energy rockets to 1439 (strong). That’s big, powerful, and with offshore wind, it’ll be a clean but heavy wave. That’s expert territory only – 10ft is too big for beginners. Saturday the 29th is even bigger, with 12ft from the west, but the wind swings cross-shore, making it lumpy and messy. The energy is a massive 2259 (very strong), but the quality is poor. That’s more of a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.
After that, it drops off again. Sunday the 30th through to the end of the forecast is mostly small, onshore, and weak. By Thursday the 3rd of September, we get a 6ft glassy morning with a north-west swell, but the period is only 6 seconds, so it’s weak and crumbly. Energy is 331 (moderate), but it’s surfable. Friday the 4th is similar, with 4ft and glassy conditions, but again, short period.
So, to sum it up: the best on offer is Thursday morning the 27th of August for a clean, small-wave session at Harlyn. The water temp is 66°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a thick wetsuit. The swell is 4ft from the west, light offshore wind, and it’s clean. It’s not epic, but it’s the only real window of quality. If you’re an expert, Friday the 28th afternoon has a big, clean 10ft swell, but that’s for the brave only.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu morning, min 14°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Thu morning, light winds from the ENE by Sat morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Warm (max 22°C on Mon morning, min 16°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Sun morning, fresh winds from the ESE by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | NNW 6 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | W 9 | WSW 13 | W 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | SW 8 | W 8 | W 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
710 | 627 | 339 | 136 | 90 | 32 | 56 | 40 | 24 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 8 | 17 | 7 | 19 | 28 | 39 | 229 | 258 | 276 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:01AM5.06m | 11:28PM4.80m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:16PM1.96m | 5:43AM2.20m | 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 | ||||||||
6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:17 | — | |
mm | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | W 6 | NNW 6 | N 5 | N 5 | N 4 | WSW 11 | WSW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 |
8 | 627 | 339 | 136 | 90 | 16 | 56 | 19 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 19 | 28 | 39 | 57 | 258 | 276 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | W 8 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 14 | WSW 9 | WSW 13 | SW 13 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 5 | W 12 | SSW 8 | SW 8 |
— | 21 | 18 | 7 | 7 | 32 | 45 | 40 | 24 | 13 | 6 | 19 | 8 | 17 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 114 | 49 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | — | N 4 | SW 9 | SW 8 | W 8 | SW 13 | SW 8 | — | W 10 | — |
— | — | — | 10 | 10 | 10 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 18 | — | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 18 | — | 52 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | — | N 5 | N 6 | N 5 | N 5 | — | — | — | — | N 4 | N 4 | ENE 3 | E 3 | ESE 3 | SSE 3 | S 3 | SSE 3 | SW 8 | — | — |
710 | — | 25 | 72 | 34 | 24 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 229 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 552 | 227 | 44 | 69 | 57 | 46 | 2 | 7 | 48 | 30 | 34 | 31 | 385 | 214 | 274 | 34 | 30 | 7 | 129 | 87 | 15 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










