Highcliffe Surf Forecast and Surf Reports

(South Coast of England, UK)

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Highcliffe Surf Guide

Highcliffe on the South Coast is a fairly exposed beach break that only works when conditions are just right. Winter is the best time of year for surfing here. The best wind direction is from the north. Tends to receive a mix of groundswells and windswells and the ideal swell angle is from the southwest. The beach break provides left and right handers. The quality of the surf isn't affected by the tide.

Highcliffe Spot Info

Type:	Rating:	Reliability:	Todays Sea Temp*:
Beach	3	inconsistent	12.8°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

Surfing Highcliffe:

The best conditions reported for surf at Highcliffe occur when a Southwest swell combines with an offshore wind direction from the North.

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

What's the best time of year to surf Highcliffe (for consistent clean waves)?

decemberBest Season: winter

The best time of year for surfing Highcliffe with consistent clean waves (rideable swell with light / offshore winds) is during Winter and most often the month of December. Clean surfable waves are typically found 3% of the time in December while 42% of the time it tends to be blown out. For the remaining 55% of the time it is considered too small by most surfers but may still be OK for beginners and groms at times.

clean

Surfable waves that hold up well for longer rides in prevailing cross-offshore, offshore or light wind conditions.

blown out

42%

Surfable sized waves that are of poorer quality due to prevailing onshore, cross-onshore or windy conditions (may be preferable for kitesurfing).

too small

55%

Waves usually considered too small for good surf. Some wave-magnet breaks may still work though if conditions are right (on occasion).

Explore Highcliffe Location Map

Interactive Highcliffe surf break location map. View information about nearby surf breaks, their wave consistency and rating compared to other spots in the region. Current swell conditions from local buoys are shown along with live wind speed and direction from nearby weather stations. Click icons on the map for more detail. The closest passenger airport to Highcliffe is Bournemouth Airport (BOH) in England, 11 km (7 miles) away (directly). The second nearest airport to Highcliffe is Southampton Airport (SOU), also in England, 34 km (21 miles) away.

Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)

Please note that some surf spot locations are approximate to protect their exact location while others are not shown at close zoom level.

Highcliffe Surf Forecasts:

Hourly Forecast

16 Day Forecast

Todays Surf Summary
Tuesday, 5 May 2026, 08:44 Local Time

m, °C	Tuesday 05
ft, °F	4AM	7AM	10AM	1PM
Wave (m)	SW	SW	SW	SW
Period (s)	7	7	7	7
Wind (km/h)
Wind State	cross- off	cross- off	off	off

What does Highcliffe look like?

Latest photos from Highcliffe. Upload your own or view all photos on the gallery page.

Credit: Sharkbait Credit: Sharkbait

Tides at Highcliffe

Current tide and informaton

For Christchurch, 5 km from Highcliffe.

Next High Water: 10:44am | 1.2m

Next Low Water: 01:35pm | 0.93m

NEXT	IS AT (local time)	remaining
high tide
low tide

Highcliffe Sea Temperature

The Highcliffe water temperature is rather cold (12.8 °C). Although it will be cloudy today, air temperatures will be relatively mild, feeling like 12.0 °C, so feeling about the same in the water as out of it. A winter steamer or even a good quality spring wetsuit and neoprene boots should suffice. Wear a hood and gloves if you have not been surfing for a while.

Today, many surfers would wear a winter wetsuit and neoprene boots.

Current Temp*: 12.8°C*ocean temperature recorded from satellite

View Sea Temp Map

Swell History at Highcliffe

Surf stats for Highcliffe, see the swell variation by month or season on the history page here.

Average Swell

View Swell Statistics

Wind History at Highcliffe

Wind stats for Highcliffe, see the variation in direction and stength by month or season on the history page here.

Average Wind

View Wind Statistics

Highcliffe Reviews:

Interactive Porthcawl Point location map. View nearby buoy information, live wind conditions and surrounding roads, paths and locations to help find new breaks. Click the buoys or wind icon to view more information.

Ratings

Based on 4 votes.

Overall:3.0
Quality on a good day:4.2
Consistency of Surf:3.8
Difficulty Level:2.5
Wind and Kite Surfing:5.0
Crowds:3.0
...

See all 18 ratings

Review

Impartial reviews submitted by Surf-Forecast users.

Warren Wentworth from United Kingdom

“Just have to say, I've been down here a few times now, the surf is often messy and is inconsistent with tides changing quickly; you can be looking at nice, clean 3 footers on the way down to the beach and by the time you get there, 1ft mess. Although the surf is inconsistent and often messy, catch it on a good day with decent swell and a calm breeze you can be looking at lovely 5ft beauties with a 10 second spacing, even a couple of barrels out there! With a strong swell, I would definitely recommend.”

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