Surf Forecasts:
Harlyn surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period, WNW swell with 375 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s 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 Tuesday (Aug 18) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 17s. 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 1.9m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Harlyn over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s cut through the noise: the next couple of weeks are going to test your patience. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor surf, with only a whisper of hope way down the line. The first real chance of catching anything decent doesn’t show up until Friday the 29th, so we’ve got a good two-week gap of flat, messy, or just plain ugly conditions to wade through.
The water at Harlyn is sitting at 66.7°F, which is a solid 4.3°F warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s a real treat – the kind of warm you don’t often get to surf in, so at least you won’t need a thick suit while you’re staring at a flat ocean.
The swell energy stays weak to moderate for most of this period, with combined energy readings in the low hundreds at best (100-125) and often dropping into the weak two-digit range (39-72). We see a little bump in energy around the 19th and 20th, with readings up around 211 to 333, but that comes with a cross-on breeze chopping everything to bits. Not worth the paddle.
Then there’s a real flat spell around the 23rd and 24th. The swell bottoms out, but a light offshore wind on the morning of the 24th gives a brief moment of clean, glassy water. It’s just a shame there’s nothing to ride – waves are barely a ripple.
Things start to get interesting on the 25th and 26th. The energy jumps up significantly, with readings of 506 and 522 on the 25th, and 335 on the 26th. Swell heights push to 5.6ft and the period stretches out to 9-11 seconds, but the wind is still cross-on or cross-off, keeping the surface lumpy or choppy. It’s progress, but not quite there.
Finally, on Friday the 29th, we get our one true standout. The morning session at Harlyn sees a light south-west cross-off breeze with clean conditions. Swell is a modest 2.3ft from the west-southwest, with an energy reading of 107. It’s not huge, but with that offshore wind and the break’s sheltered nature, it should hold some clean, rideable lines. The afternoon shows a bigger pulse of energy (426) and a long-period swell of 15 seconds, which brings more power but also a cross-shore wind that will make things a bit more challenging.
So, there you have it. One morning, Friday the 29th, looks like the pick of a very lean bunch. Mark it in your calendar, keep your board waxed, and be ready to go when that light offshore tickles the bay. Until then, it’s a waiting game.
Keep the faith.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri night, min 16°C on Sat afternoon). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Tue night). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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 | N 5 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | WNW 6 | W 8 | W 7 | W 6 | WNW 6 | W 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
82 | 74 | 57 | 27 | 16 | 8 | 53 | 121 | 62 | 73 | 56 | 104 | 103 | 115 | 365 | 200 | 212 | 254 | 90 | 40 | 63 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 7:44AM6.81m | 8:03PM7.06m | 8:23AM6.66m | 8:41PM6.78m | 9:00AM6.37m | 9:19PM6.35m | 9:38AM5.98m | 9:57PM5.84m | 10:17AM5.52m | 10:38PM5.30m | 11:01AM5.06m | 11:28PM4.80m | 11:59AM4.65m | 00:39AM4.43m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:00PM0.06m | 2:24AM0.09m | 2:37PM0.26m | 3:00AM0.40m | 3:13PM0.60m | 3:35AM0.82m | 3:50PM1.03m | 4:11AM1.29m | 4:29PM1.50m | 4:51AM1.77m | 5:16PM1.96m | 5:43AM2.20m | 6:22PM2.34m | ||||||||
6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | 8:39 | — | — | 8:38 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 |
Feels °C | 12 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | WNW 6 | SW 18 | N 4 | W 8 | W 8 | SW 17 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 15 | WNW 9 | W 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 8 |
82 | 74 | 40 | 27 | 16 | 8 | 53 | 12 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 40 | 57 | 23 | 115 | 85 | 18 | 90 | 40 | 63 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | WSW 8 | WNW 5 | W 18 | WNW 9 | — | W 16 | SW 17 | SW 17 | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | — | SW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | W 8 | W 9 | SW 13 |
— | — | — | 6 | 5 | 6 | 26 | — | 5 | 11 | 11 | — | 10 | 10 | — | 8 | 20 | 19 | 51 | 24 | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | N 4 | W 11 | W 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 13 | WNW 8 | SW 16 |
— | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | 10 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 4 | — | WNW 4 | — | W 8 | W 7 | W 6 | WNW 6 | W 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | — | NNW 4 | N 5 |
47 | 46 | 57 | 9 | — | 8 | — | 121 | 62 | 73 | 56 | 104 | 103 | 115 | 365 | 200 | 212 | 254 | — | 6 | 9 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 505 | 248 | 57 | 56 | 401 | 232 | 281 | 227 | 227 | 281 | 305 | 237 | 245 | 245 | 311 | 245 | 227 | 123 | 56 | 57 | 56 |
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.










