Paignton Surf Break

Lat Long: 50.43° N 3.56° W

Paignton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 13 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Paignton sea temperature is
19.7° C
4.0° 

Paignton surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Paignton surf forecast from 13 Jul 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 17 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 5s period, E swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Tuesday 14 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, E swell with 303 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 17 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 5s period with E swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Paignton this week:

The surf forecast for Paignton over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Jul 17) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 5s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at Paignton in the next 16 days are 1.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 18) at 7PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Fri 17th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 5s
Best Surf 1AM (Fri 17th Jul)3.5ft (1.0m) 5s
Most Powerful 7AM (Tue 14th Jul)5.5ft (1.7m) 7s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Paignton over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Right, I’ve had a good look at the charts for Paignton and, well, truth be told, it’s a bit of a grim run for the next couple of weeks. There’s nothing on the cards that gets me excited, and the first few days are a proper write-off. Let’s walk through it.

The first bit of surf worth mentioning shows up on the afternoon of the 13th of July, but it’s a real struggle. We’ve got a 6ft easterly swell with a short, weak 8 second period, and the wind is a moderate easterly straight onshore. The combined energy is moderate at 398, but the conditions are just poor. The water is a staggering 7°F warmer than normal, which is very unusual for the time of year, so you’ll be swimming in bathwater, but that’s about the only positive.

Tuesday the 14th isn’t any better. Morning sees a 5ft east swell, still short period at 7 seconds, but it’s cross-onshore with a 16 mph wind, so it’s choppy and messy. The energy drops to 220. The afternoon brings a smaller 3ft swell, but it’s still cross-onshore with a light breeze, so it’s just small and bumpy.

From Wednesday the 15th right through to the 18th, it’s a steady decline. Swell sizes drop below 3ft, periods are short, and the wind is mostly cross-onshore. The energy levels are weak, often under 100, and everything is marked as poor surf conditions. There’s a brief moment on the afternoon of the 17th with a clean cross-offshore wind from the south at just 3 mph, but the swell is a tiny 2ft from the east with a 5 second period. You’d be lucky to get a knee-high dribble.

The weekend of the 18th and 19th is flat, with wave heights down to 1.0ft. The energy is down to single digits.

Then, from the 20th of July onwards, we hit a serious dry spell. The swell dies completely, with zeros on the board for wave height and energy. The wind does offer some clean, cross-offshore conditions on the 20th afternoon, 21st afternoon, and then pretty much every day from the 24th to the 28th, but there’s simply no swell to push it. It’s a total blank run for the second week of the forecast.

Honestly, Paignton is a beginner-friendly spot that’s inconsistent at the best of times, and a run like this, with no consistent swell, is more normal for this area. There is absolutely nothing here that I’d point you towards. The best advice is to leave the board in the shed for a while and keep an eye on the charts, because it can’t stay this quiet forever.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Mon night, calm by Wed night).

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Fri afternoon, min 16°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light.

Mon
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
Saturday
18
Sunday
19
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.8
E
8
1.5
E
7
1.5
E
7
1
E
7
0.5
E
5
0.9
ENE
5
0.9
E
6
1.1
E
6
1.1
E
6
0.9
E
6
1
E
5
0.9
E
6
0.6
E
5
0.3
E
4
0.3
E
3
0.3
E
4
0.2
E
4
0.5
NE
3
0.7
ENE
5
0.4
E
4
0.5
E
5
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
398
204
220
85
14
37
50
78
77
48
56
60
19
4
2
3
1
6
22
6
12
Wind (km/h)
20
E
20
NE
25
ENE
10
SE
10
NE
20
NE
10
SE
10
ENE
20
NE
10
E
5
NNW
20
NE
5
S
10
NNW
15
E
15
S
15
NW
15
NE
15
ESE
10
N
10
ENE
Wind State
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
glassy
cross-on
cross
cross-off
on
cross
cross-off
cross-on
on
cross-off
cross-on
High Tide
6:44PM3.61m
7:17AM3.52m
7:38PM3.87m
8:08AM3.68m
8:25PM4.06m
8:54AM3.77m
9:09PM4.13m
9:37AM3.76m
9:50PM4.09m
10:18AM3.68m
10:30PM3.93m
10:57AM3.53m
11:07PM3.70m
11:34AM3.33m
Low Tide
00:16AM0.28m
12:34PM0.27m
1:06AM0.08m
1:21PM0.15m
1:53AM-0.04m
2:06PM0.10m
2:37AM-0.06m
2:49PM0.13m
3:20AM0.02m
3:31PM0.26m
4:02AM0.18m
4:12PM0.46m
4:43AM0.42m
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part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:18
5:18
5:20
5:20
5:22
5:22
5:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
9:22
9:21
9:20
9:19
9:17
9:16
9:15
9:15
 mm
Temp °C
24
22
23
25
24
24
26
24
23
23
21
24
26
24
21
26
23
19
20
22
24
Feels °C
22
21
19
24
23
23
24
24
21
22
21
21
22
21
18
22
20
16
20
21
20
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the Paignton Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for Paignton provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Paignton can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Paignton 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 (Paignton) 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 Paignton 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.

Paignton is 1 km (1 miles) from the city of Paignton. If you plan a holiday in South Devon, look for hotels and other accommodation in Paignton. Paignton has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.

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