Surf Forecasts:
Paignton surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 20 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 3s period, ENE swell with 3 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Paignton this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Paignton in the next 16 days are 0.4m 3s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 26) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 3s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Paignton over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: the next 16 days are a total flat spell for Paignton. There’s nothing to get excited about, so if you’re itching to paddle out, you’re going to be waiting a while.
Looking at the whole period, we start off with a tiny pulse on Monday 20 July – a 1ft swell from the ENE with a period of just 3 seconds. That’s hardly a wave, more like a wind bump. The energy is weak (3), and with an onshore wind, it’s just messy. By afternoon, it drops to 0.7ft. Not worth a second look.
From Tuesday 21 July right through to the end of the window on 04 August, there’s simply no surf. That’s a solid two-week gap with nothing. The guidance shows Paignton as inconsistent, and this is exactly why. It’s a beginner break that’s fairly exposed to the east, but without any swell, it’s a lake.
The only bright spot? The wind does go glassy or offshore on a few days – like Friday 24 July morning, or Wednesday 29 July afternoon, and again on Friday 31 July morning. But with zero swell, clean conditions don’t help. You’d be better off on a paddleboard.
If you’re a beginner hoping to learn, this run is a bummer, but it tends not to stay this flat forever. Forecasts can change. For now, leave the boards in the shed.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sat afternoon. Warm (max 25°C on Fri afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 3 | E 3 | E 4 | W 11 | E 5 | E 4 | NE 3 | W 10 | NNE 2 | ESE 3 | SE 3 | W 9 | — | WSW 3 | — | S 12 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | SW 4 | SW 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | glassy | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:34AM3.33m | 11:44PM3.41m | 12:11PM3.13m | 00:21AM3.12m | 12:50PM2.93m | 1:02AM2.85m | 1:36PM2.75m | 1:54AM2.63m | 2:38PM2.64m | 3:12AM2.51m | 4:16PM2.64m | 5:04AM2.57m | 5:43PM2.81m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:43AM0.42m | 4:55PM0.70m | 5:25AM0.69m | 5:40PM0.97m | 6:11AM0.97m | 6:35PM1.23m | 7:11AM1.21m | 7:53PM1.41m | 8:31AM1.36m | 9:21PM1.44m | 9:49AM1.35m | 10:31PM1.32m | 10:50AM1.22m | 11:24PM1.14m | |||||||
 | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | |  |  |  | | | | | |
 | 5:24 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:15 | — | — | 9:14 | — | — | 9:12 | — | — | 9:10 | — | — | 9:09 | — | — | 9:08 | — | — | 9:07 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 16 |
Feels °C | 15 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | E 3 | E 4 | — | E 5 | E 4 | W 10 | — | — | W 9 | E 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 12 | W 9 | — | — | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | — | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 3 | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 11 | W 11 | W 7 | W 10 | W 7 | W 10 | — | S 14 | — | — | — | — | — | S 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 3 | ENE 3 | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | — | NNE 2 | ESE 3 | SE 3 | — | — | WSW 3 | — | — | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | SW 4 | SW 6 |
| kJ | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 6 | — | — | 19 | 19 | 43 | 33 | 39 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 156 | 486 | 252 | 87 | 135 | 321 | 482 | 252 | 81 | 98 | 156 | 441 | 1365 | 1449 | 1683 | 890 | 486 | 103 | 29 | 115 | 30 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Devon | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Paignton surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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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