Paignton Surf Break

Lat Long: 50.43° N 3.56° W

Paignton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 pm 07 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Paignton sea temperature is
19.3° C
2.6° 

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


Paignton surf forecast from 7 Aug 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, E swell with 297 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Paignton this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Paignton in the next 16 days are 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 4PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 4AM (Wed 12th Aug)6ft (1.8m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. I’ve scanned the charts for the next couple of weeks, and it’s a tough one. We’ve got a long stretch of flat, poor conditions ahead, so if you’re itching for a wave, you might want to find a new hobby for a bit. There’s a real gap here, so don’t hold your breath.

The first sign of anything surfable pops up on Saturday the 8th, but honestly, it’s a tease. We’re looking at a tiny 1 ft of east-southeast swell, with the period a weak 3 seconds. The energy is a pathetic 1 (weak). It’s not worth paddling out for. The wind is onshore too, so it’ll be bumpy. We’ll hold off on that one.

Sunday the 9th is more of the same – 1 ft of east-southeast swell, still with that short 4-second period. The energy is still weak at 3. Not exactly firing. The morning has a slight cross-onshore breeze, but the afternoon cleans up a touch. Still pretty average.

Monday the 10th? Flat. Nothing doing. Save your energy.

We get a little pulse on Tuesday the 11th. The morning is still flat, but by the afternoon, we see the swell start to build to 3 ft from the east with a 5-second period. The energy picks up to 52, which is still weak. The wind is straight onshore though, and even at 15 mph, it’s going to mess it up. Not good.

Wednesday the 12th actually sees the most swell of the whole run. By the morning, we’re looking at 5 ft of east swell with a 7-second period. Energy is up to 220, which is moderate. But, the wind is howling onshore from the east at 15 mph. The surface is going to be a mess. It’s a lot of water moving but not in a good way. We’ll call it poor. The afternoon backs down to 4 ft.

From Thursday the 13th onward, it just fades away. We get some clean, glassy conditions and even offshore winds, but there’s just no swell. It’s flat out. The rest of the run is a dusting of tiny waves or nothing at all. The combined energy levels are all in the single digits or zero (weak), which is the most frustrating part. The surf quality is continuously reported as poor.

The one thing we have going for us is the water. It’s a balmy 67°—which is running about 5° warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s pretty notable for the first spot, Paignton. The water will feel great, it’s just a shame there’s nothing to ride.

Honestly, if you’re a kitesurfer, those strong onshore and cross-shore winds in the second week might get you excited, especially with that bigger swell on Wednesday. But for us surfers? It’s a dead period. We’d be waiting a long time. Hang loose, check back later, and maybe the ocean will change its mind.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Mon afternoon, min 17°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
Tuesday
11
Wednesday
12
Thursday
13
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
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
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.1
W
10
0.1
S
12
0.3
N
2
0.1
W
9
0.3
ESE
3
0.3
ESE
3
0.3
ESE
4
0.3
ESE
4
0.2
NNW
2
0.1
SW
8
0.1
SW
7
0.1
W
11
0.5
E
3
1
E
5
1.5
E
6
1.6
E
7
1.1
E
6
0.6
E
5
0.5
E
5
0.3
E
5
0.3
WSW
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
0
0
1
0
1
2
3
4
0
0
0
0
5
52
178
220
80
19
14
4
0
Wind (km/h)
0
E
20
SSW
15
N
10
E
15
ESE
10
N
5
NNE
20
SW
10
NW
10
NE
15
S
15
N
25
E
25
E
20
ENE
25
E
15
ESE
10
NNW
5
NW
10
W
10
NW
Wind State
glassy
cross-off
cross
on
on
cross
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
on
on
on
on
on
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
High Tide
1:11PM3.02m
1:39AM2.93m
2:27PM2.90m
3:14AM2.81m
4:11PM2.97m
5:03AM2.93m
5:39PM3.25m
6:17AM3.22m
6:39PM3.61m
7:11AM3.51m
7:27PM3.92m
7:56AM3.73m
8:10PM4.12m
Low Tide
7:02PM1.03m
7:46AM1.04m
8:38PM1.12m
9:20AM1.06m
10:08PM0.97m
10:36AM0.88m
11:16PM0.67m
11:36AM0.61m
00:10AM0.35m
12:25PM0.35m
00:57AM0.08m
1:09PM0.14m
1:39AM-0.09m
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:48
5:50
5:52
5:54
5:54
5:56
5:58
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:49
8:46
8:45
8:44
8:42
8:39
8:37
 mm
Temp °C
17
20
17
18
20
19
24
26
19
23
25
23
19
20
19
20
21
20
25
27
20
Feels °C
14
16
15
16
19
18
20
21
17
21
24
21
15
16
17
17
21
19
25
27
18
  • 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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