Paignton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Paignton over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – this is a tough one. The next 16 days are looking pretty grim for any kind of decent surf. We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions ahead. The first real sniff of a wave doesn’t even show up until Friday the 10th of July, and even then it’s nothing to write home about. We’re looking at a tiny 2ft easterly windswell with a period of only 4 seconds. The wind is onshore from the ESE at 9 mph, so it’s choppy and messy. Water temp is sitting at 65°, which is way warmer than normal for this time of year – more than 5° above average – so you won’t need a thick wetsuit, but that’s about the only good news.

Saturday morning the 11th shows a little more size, with 4ft from the east, but that 6-second period is still short and weak. The wind picks up to 16 mph from the ENE, making it a cross-onshore choppy mess. The combined energy is only 132 (moderate), but it’s all messy. Not worth paddling out.

Sunday the 12th and Monday the 13th bring the biggest swell of the period, with heights reaching 8ft by Monday morning. But before you get excited, the period is only 7-8 seconds, and the wind is a solid 19-22 mph cross-onshore. The wave energy jumps up to 682 (moderate/strong) but the quality is just poor – lumpy, blown-out, and only for the experienced guys who don’t mind a beating. For beginners, anything over 5ft is too much, and this is well over.

Tuesday the 14th through Friday the 17th sees the swell slowly drop off, but the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, keeping things messy. By Thursday the 16th, the swell dies completely, and we’re looking at zero surf for several days. That flat spell runs from Thursday the 16th all the way through to the end of the outlook on the 25th of July, with only a few tiny, weak pulses on the 19th and 20th that are barely worth a mention.

The 19th of July sees a tiny 2ft from the north with a 4-second period – that’s barely a ripple. The 20th of July is similar, with 3ft from the east. Both are wind-affected and poor.

So, the one standout – if you can call it that – is the window around Sunday the 12th and Monday the 13th. The swell is biggest there, but it’s a real challenge. Paignton itself is a beginner-friendly spot usually, but with 7ft to 8ft of short-period, onshore slop, it’s going to be a battle. The wind is cross-onshore, making it lumpy. This is more of a “watch and learn” setup than a “go paddle out” one. Honestly, the setup on those bigger days looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, given the strong onshore winds and messy waves.

For the rest of the period, it’s a flat, frustrating run. Summers can be like this here – sometimes you just get a blank run. Forecasts can change, but right now, there’s nothing clean or rideable on the horizon.

Stay patient, lads. Rusty out.

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