Paignton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

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

Right off the bat, I’ve got to be straight with you: the next ten days or so are basically a write-off. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with nothing but flat, poor surf conditions from Wednesday the 22nd of July all the way through to the end of the month. The combined wave energy sits at a flat zero for most of that time, and when we do see a tiny pulse of swell around 0.7 ft from the ESE, it’s got a pathetic period of just 3 seconds, so it’s barely a ripple. The wind is all over the place—cross, cross-off, but nothing that’ll turn that non-existent surf into anything rideable. There’s a brief moment on Saturday morning the 25th of July with glassy conditions, but there’s no swell to go with it, so it’s a cruel tease. We’ve got a gap of about ten days with no real surf to speak of.

Then we roll into the first week of August, and things start to flicker. On Monday the 3rd of August, we see a tiny 1 ft to 2 ft NE/E swell creep in, but the period is still a miserable 3 to 4 seconds, and the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, which means chop. Not worth paddling out for. The next day, Tuesday the 4th of August, the afternoon shows a small improvement: 3 ft from the east with a 6-second period, and the wind goes cross-offshore from the SSW, keeping it clean. The combined energy is still low at 52, so it’s small and weak, but at least it’s not blown out.

Now, the real headline comes on Thursday the 6th of August. Morning session at Paignton (Torbay) sees a 4 ft swell from the east, with a 6-second period. The wind goes glassy, dead calm from the WSW, so the surface will be like a mirror. The combined energy climbs to 118, which is moderate energy, so there’s finally some push behind it. This is the standout in the whole 16-day window—the cleanest, most surfable bit we’ve got. The swell is still modest, so it’s not going to be pumping, but for a beginner-friendly spot like Paignton, that’s actually a good thing. It’s got a bit of shape, but remember, that 6-second period means it’s a windswell, so the waves will be a bit crumbly and soft. Still, glassy conditions and 4 ft of swell is easily the best on offer. The water temperature anomaly is about average for the time of year, so nothing weird there.

Beyond that Thursday, the forecast gets hazy and the data stops giving us much to go on. If you’ve been waiting for a wave, that Thursday morning is your best bet. It’s not a classic, but it’s clean and it’s rideable.

Rusty.

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