Surf Forecasts:
Higgins Beach surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 7s period, SE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 2AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period, SE swell with 98 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 19 Aug, 11PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 7s period with SE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Higgins Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Higgins Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 11PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Higgins Beach in the next 16 days are 1.1m 6s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 2AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 5AM.
| Wave Type | Time (EDT) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 11PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 11PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 2AM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Higgins Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks. Rusty here.
Well, I’ll be honest with you, this 16-day window for Higgins Beach is a toughie. There’s hardly anything to get excited about. We’re looking at a long, quiet stretch, especially the first week. The better moments don’t really show up until the very end of the run.
Overall Pattern
The whole period is dominated by weak, short-period swell. The water temp is sitting at around 64°F, which is pretty much bang on average for this time of year, so nothing weird there. The prevailing winds are almost always onshore or cross-onshore, keeping the surface chopped up. It’s just not a good recipe for paddle surfing.
Deep Dive
The first real chance for a wave is on Thursday the 20th of August. The early morning brings a tiny 3ft SE swell with a poor 8-second period. But, the wind is glassy (ESE, 3 mph). If you’re desperate for a splash on a longboard, you might find a clean ankle-biter. The combined energy (69) is weak, so don’t expect any push. That glass is short-lived, as by the afternoon the wind swings S, and it’s game over.
We then hit a major dead zone. From Friday the 21st all the way through to the end of the month, the swell barely registers, with heights staying at 2ft or less. It’s a total write-off for any decent surf.
The Best on Offer (Such as it is)
The only real standout, and I use that term loosely, is Sunday the 30th of August. A 2ft ESE swell with a short 7-second period is coming in. The key here is the wind: a NNW breeze at 6 mph, blowing clean and cross-offshore. The combined energy (69) is still weak (69), but for the first time in over a week, the conditions will be clean. The surf will be ordinary, but at least it won't be a washing machine.
Forget the rest. The setup is so consistently poor, with onshore winds and weak energy, that this spot looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing through most of this outlook.
-Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon. Warm (max 25°C on Thu afternoon, min 14°C on Sat afternoon). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 36mm), heaviest during Sat night. Warm (max 26°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SE 6 | SE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 11 | SE 11 | SE 10 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 56 | 57 | 41 | 42 | 33 | 44 | 42 | 37 | 21 | 98 | 56 | 35 | 27 | 28 | 40 | 64 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross | cross-on | off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:34AM2.39m | 5:49PM2.65m | 6:34AM2.29m | 6:46PM2.59m | 7:36AM2.24m | 7:45PM2.59m | 8:34AM2.26m | 8:41PM2.64m | 9:26AM2.33m | 9:31PM2.71m | 10:11AM2.42m | 10:15PM2.80m | |||||||
Low Tide | 11:22PM0.32m | 11:30AM0.54m | 00:22AM0.40m | 12:27PM0.64m | 1:23AM0.44m | 1:27PM0.67m | 2:22AM0.42m | 2:24PM0.64m | 3:15AM0.36m | 3:15PM0.57m | 4:00AM0.28m | 4:00PM0.48m | 4:40AM0.20m | ||||||
 |  | |  |  | | |  |  |  | | |  |  | | | | | | |
 | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — |
 | 7:38 | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:29 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 33 | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 21 | 19 | 23 | 22 |
Feels °C | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 18 | 15 | 20 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 6 | SE 8 | SE 7 | ESE 8 | SE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | SE 6 | SE 6 | ESE 7 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | ESE 6 | SSE 6 | SSE 6 | SE 5 | SE 10 |
| kJ | 56 | 57 | 41 | 42 | 33 | 44 | 42 | 37 | 21 | 98 | 56 | 35 | 27 | 28 | 16 | 64 | 12 | 10 | 17 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 8 | — | — | S 3 | SE 15 | SE 14 | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 13 | ESE 13 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | ESE 6 | ESE 6 | SE 11 | ESE 6 | ESE 7 | SE 11 | SSE 5 |
| kJ | 11 | — | — | 1 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 16 | 15 | 23 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 8 | 9 | 18 | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | E 15 | — | — | SE 14 | SE 13 | SE 9 | SE 9 | — | SE 8 | ESE 12 | SE 12 | — | ESE 11 | SE 11 | S 6 | ESE 7 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 8 | 7 | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | 14 | 21 | — | 11 | 18 | 3 | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SSE 3 | — | NNE 3 | — | — | ENE 3 | E 4 | — | — | SSE 6 | — | — | SSE 6 | NW 2 | — | SW 2 | WSW 2 |
| kJ | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 13 | — | — | 26 | — | — | 40 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 79 | 42 | 42 | 92 | 42 | 470 | 1030 | 42 | 792 | 311 | 180 | 42 | 306 | 42 | 42 | 79 | 42 | 311 | 92 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Maine | |||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United States | |||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Higgins Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Higgins Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Higgins Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Higgins Beach 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 (Higgins Beach) 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 Higgins Beach 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.
Higgins Beach is 9 km (6 miles) from South Portland Gardens. If you plan a vacation in Maine, look for hotels and other accommodation in South Portland Gardens. South Portland Gardens has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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