Paignton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, and I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one to write. The next sixteen days are looking pretty grim for a paddle in the water at Paignton. We’ve got a serious case of the "no-swells" coming our way, with a couple of tiny blips that are barely worth a mention.

Let’s run through it. The forecast kicks off from Wednesday, July 22nd, and for the first six days, right through to Monday, July 28th morning, there’s absolutely no swell energy to speak of. The combined energy reading is a flat zero (0) for most of that stretch. The sea is just flat. It’s a long, empty gap of nothing.

Now, later on Tuesday, July 28th afternoon, we finally see a tiny pulse of energy. The swell picks up to a measly 1ft from the ESE, with a period of only 3 seconds. That’s a short-period, weak little windswell, with combined energy of just (2). The wind will be a gentle cross-shore, so it’ll be a little messy. It’s not really surfable, just a bit of movement.

The blip continues into Wednesday, July 29th morning with a 0.7ft swell from the ESE at 4 seconds, and the wind swings offshore from the WNW at 6 mph, cleaning things up. The combined energy is still just (2) though. The afternoon sees a similar 0.7ft swell from the E at 4 seconds, but with a stronger offshore wind of 15 mph. Again, the energy is only (1). It’s too small to ride.

Thursday, July 30th is the most interesting day of the whole outlook, and even then, it’s a struggle. Morning brings a 2ft swell from the NE with a period of 4 seconds and a light cross-offshore wind. The combined energy finally hits a modest (12). That’s our best window. The afternoon stays clean with glassy conditions and a 1ft swell from the ENE. If you’re desperate, you might find a tiny, clean wave on the sandbanks, but it’s strictly for longboards and beginners.

The rest of the run from Friday, August 1st onward is a repeat of the same story: flat spells punctuated by tiny, weak swells from the east (0.7ft to 2ft) with very low energy readings. The water temperature on the first day (July 22nd) was 67°F – that’s over 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year, which is very unusual. The sea feels like a bath, but there’s no power behind it.

Honestly, if you’re looking for a proper surf, this isn’t your week. The setup is so weak and the swells are so small that the only thing that might be worth a mention is a kite session on a breezy day, but for a paddle board? Forget it. The most consistent thing here is the flat spell. Let’s hope the forecasts change, because this is a tough stretch.

Stay tuned, and keep an eye on the charts.

- Rusty

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