Paignton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about Paignton. Honestly, it’s a tough run ahead. The whole 16-day window looks mostly flat, with only a few scraps of swell that are barely worth paddling out for. The water’s sitting at 67°F which is much warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a bit of a treat if you’re just floating around, but the waves just aren’t showing up.

We start off Tuesday 28 July with nothing – zero energy. Wednesday and Thursday follow the same pattern. Friday 31 July finally brings a whisper of a swell, 0.7ft from the NNE with a period of only 3 seconds. That’s basically wind bump, not surf. The combined energy is just 1 – weak as anything. The wind is light and cross-onshore, so it’s messy. Saturday 1 August is the same story: 0.7ft from the NNE, 3 seconds, energy of 1. Light cross-shore breeze. It’s not surfable.

Sunday 2 August sees a tiny bump to 2ft from the ENE, but still only 4 seconds period and combined energy of 9. The wind is moderate cross-onshore, making it choppy and poor. Monday 3 August offers 1ft from the E with a 6 second period, energy of 11. Light cross-shore, but still just poor surf.

Then from Tuesday 4 August through to Monday 10 August, it’s back to zero – a full week of nothing on offer. A long, dry spell.

Around Tuesday 11 August, we get another small pulse: 2ft from the N, period of 3 seconds, energy of 5. The wind goes light offshore, so it’s clean, but that’s a tiny, weak, short-period wave. Not worth getting excited about. Wednesday 12 August has 1ft from the NE with a 5 second period and energy of 10, but moderate cross-shore wind makes it choppy.

So, what’s the standout? Honestly, there isn’t a true standout. The best on offer is a toss-up between the early morning of Monday 3 August or Tuesday 11 August – both with light winds and tiny clean waves. But if I had to pick one, I’d say Tuesday 11 August morning. The 2ft from the N with a light offshore wind from the WSW gives you the cleanest conditions of the whole period. But it’s only for experts in the sense that it’s so small and weak, it’s barely a wave. Beginners won’t get hurt, but they won’t get a ride either.

Crowds at Paignton are sometimes an issue, but with this lack of swell, you’ll probably have it to yourself. This is a beach break, and with such short-period, tiny swell, it’s not going to offer much shape. The setup looks more interesting for a paddleboard or a swim than a surf.

Overall, it’s a poor outlook. The long gap with no surf from 4 August to 10 August is a real bummer, and the rest is just scraps. Keep an eye on the forecasts, but for now, I’d leave the board at home.

Rusty

Read more