Paignton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Paignton over the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, it’s a pretty grim stretch for the most part. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with nothing to get excited about. From the start of the period right through until the morning of Monday the 5th of August, the surf is basically a write-off. There’s no swell to speak of, and what little wind there is doesn’t help. It’s a proper blank run, and that’s just the way it goes here sometimes.

The first real sign of life shows up on the morning of Wednesday the 5th of August. The swell jumps up to a solid 8ft, coming from the east with a period of 7 seconds. The combined energy is there at 620 (moderate wave energy), so there’s some power, but the wind is a fresh southwesterly at 19 mph, which is cross-offshore. For a beginner, that size is too much, and the short period of 7 seconds won’t give it much shape. It’s a messy, powerful option for experienced surfers only, and it’s not clean.

The afternoon of the 5th is a bit cleaner. The wind swings to the west-southwest at 16 mph, going offshore, and the swell drops a touch to 7ft from the east, still with a 7-second period. The energy is at 479 (moderate wave energy). The wind is offshore, which is a positive, but the short period and the size mean it’s still a tricky, raw wave. It’s an improvement, but it’s not a standout.

Into Thursday the 6th of August, the swell eases to 6ft from the east with a 7-second period and 389 (moderate wave energy). The morning has a light northerly cross-shore, so it’s not clean, but it’s manageable. The afternoon sees the swell drop to 5ft, still east, 7 seconds, with 205 (moderate wave energy) and a moderate northwesterly cross-offshore wind. It’s clean, but the swell is dropping fast.

After that, it fades away to nothing again. The water temperature on the first day of the period is 67°, which is a huge 5° warmer than normal for this time of year – very unusual, and it feels like a warm bath.

For the whole forecast, there’s no true standout. The best on offer is the afternoon of the 5th of August, with the offshore wind and a decent amount of east swell, but it’s a short-period, onshore-groundswell affair that will be tricky. The setup at Paignton is a fairly exposed beach, and with the short-period east swell, it’s likely to be a bit close-out. If you’re a kiter, the afternoon of the 5th might look more interesting than for a paddle surfer.

Rusty.

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