Surf Forecasts:
Harlyn surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 26 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 9s period, WNW swell with 675 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 26 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period with SW 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 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 9s. Another secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s 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 2.1m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Wed 26th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Harlyn over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's cut to the chase. We've got a long window ahead with a lot of nothing before things kick up. The first week is mostly flat and small, so don't get too excited about paddling out just yet. But don't worry, it's not going to stay that way. The forecast has a few big pulses on the horizon if you're willing to wait.
The first glimmer of anything surfable isn't until Wednesday, August 26th. We've got 4ft of SW swell on the morning, but it's a short-period, weak pulse with low energy. The wind is offshore from the SSE at 18 mph, which will keep it tidy, but the waves will be soft and lack any punch. It's a grovel session if you're desperate. It drops off from there, with the light winds on Thursday the 27th keeping the 3ft of west swell clean, but it's lacking any power.
The real event, the one that stands out head and shoulders above the rest, is the weekend of August 29th and 30th. Saturday morning sees the swell start to build, reaching 8ft from the WSW. But it’s the afternoon that really delivers. We're looking at 12ft of west swell with a 10-second period and massive energy. This is a serious ocean, not for the faint of heart. It's big, powerful surf. The cross-off wind will keep the face somewhat manageable, but this is only for experts. Anyone else needs to be on the beach. Sunday maintains that size, with 10ft of west swell and a similar period. The wind is lighter, which helps, but the sheer amount of water moving is intimidating. This is a life-affirming session for the elite, and a death wish for anyone else.
After that, the swell backs off into the first days of September. Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st are smaller, but the wind is onshore and it's going to be messy. The 2nd of September brings another spike in size, with 10ft on the morning, but it's junky, short-period, cross-shore wind-slop. Not worth a look. Thursday the 3rd has a clean 5ft in the morning, but the afternoon blows out with another 10ft of short-period junk. The last day we have, Friday the 4th, is onshore, bumpy, and just ugly.
So, the standout is clearly the afternoon of Saturday, August 29th, and then Sunday, August 30th. That's when you want to be there if you're charging. The water temp is 66°F, which is about 4°F warmer than normal, so you'll be comfortable in a spring suit. Otherwise, it's a waiting game for cleaner, smaller conditions. For everyone else, it’s probably better to grab the kiteboard during those big windy days. It’s a long flat spell, but that’s just how it goes sometimes. The surf will come back. This is Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Thu morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Thu morning, min 14°C on Fri morning). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Thu morning, light winds from the E by Sat morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 22°C on Mon morning, min 16°C on Sun morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 | W 9 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | W 8 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | SW 7 | W 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
710 | 627 | 293 | 136 | 86 | 32 | 65 | 40 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 7 | 19 | 43 | 57 | 99 | 82 | 67 | |
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 | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | off | cross-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 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 5 | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 11 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | WSW 14 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | N 5 | NNW 5 | N 5 | N 4 | N 4 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | N 4 | W 9 | NNE 5 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | SW 7 | W 8 | W 8 |
8 | 21 | 293 | 136 | 86 | 13 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 3 | 10 | 16 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 19 | 43 | 57 | 99 | 82 | 57 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | W 8 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WSW 14 | W 9 | WSW 13 | W 8 | NNE 4 | SW 8 | SW 8 | W 8 | SW 7 | SW 8 |
— | — | 18 | 7 | 7 | 32 | 65 | 40 | 14 | 14 | 5 | 20 | 7 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 50 | 54 | 67 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | WNW 5 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | W 10 | WSW 14 | SW 8 | SW 13 | SW 8 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WNW 11 |
— | — | — | 10 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 2 | 19 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 24 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | WNW 9 | N 5 | N 5 | NNW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | N 4 | N 4 | E 3 | NE 4 | ESE 2 | — | — | SSW 3 | — | — | — |
710 | 627 | 18 | 56 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 127 | 568 | 44 | 57 | 69 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 48 | 56 | 56 | 2 | 399 | 391 | 386 | 214 | 24 | 2 | 207 | 33 | 3 |
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.










