Surf Forecasts:
Paignton surf forecast from 1 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 6s period, E swell with 10 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 6s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Paignton over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, I’m looking at what we’ve got here for the next couple of weeks, and I’m not gonna sugarcoat it—this is a tough one. The whole 16-day window is basically flat, with only tiny scraps of swell, and nothing that’s going to get a surfer out of bed. The water is a balmy 68°F and the anomaly is 3°F, so it’s much warmer than normal for this time of year, which is a real treat during the long waits. But aside from that, the surf is just not happening.
The first recommendation is for Paignton, and it’s a bit of a non-starter. The swell is practically non-existent for the first week, with combined energy values sitting at 0 or in the single digits, and the few tiny waves we see are short period, under 7 seconds, and mostly from the east or northeast. The wind is often clean or even glassy, but with no swell to work with, it’s just a flat ocean. We’ve got a long gap of days with no real surf recommendations—from the start right through to around the 11th of August.
Come the 11th of August, Tuesday morning, there’s a slight bump: a 2ft swell from the east at 4 seconds, with combined energy of 11 (weak), but it’s cross-onshore winds from the southeast making it choppy. Not worth paddling out for. The afternoon has a 3ft swell from the east at 6 seconds with energy of 64 (still weak), but it’s onshore, so messy. The rest of the second week sees only tiny ripples—0.7ft to 2ft—with short periods and mostly onshore or cross-off winds. The standout, if you can call it that, is actually the glassy conditions on the 13th of August Thursday morning, but with zero swell, it’s just a mirror. On the 14th, we get a strong offshore wind with 25 mph gusts, but the swell is 0.7ft from the north—again, nothing.
For beginners, there’s nothing to learn on. For experts, there’s nothing to ride. The setup is pretty much a blank run for the area, and it’s normal for this spot to have long flat spells. If you’re into kite surfing, the strong offshore winds on the 14th and 15th might be interesting, but for paddling, leave the board at home.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Wed afternoon, light winds from the N by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 10 | SW 3 | N 3 | NE 4 | ENE 4 | W 10 | E 6 | E 5 | E 4 | WSW 8 | SW 8 | SW 6 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SW 7 | SW 6 | WSW 3 | SW 6 | W 10 | W 9 | S 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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 | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:25PM3.86m | 9:47AM3.57m | 9:57PM3.83m | 10:20AM3.55m | 10:29PM3.74m | 10:54AM3.47m | 11:04PM3.59m | 11:32AM3.35m | 11:44PM3.39m | 12:15PM3.19m | 00:33AM3.16m | 1:11PM3.02m | 1:39AM2.93m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:30PM0.26m | 2:55AM0.12m | 3:03PM0.23m | 3:28AM0.10m | 3:39PM0.26m | 4:04AM0.16m | 4:17PM0.37m | 4:43AM0.31m | 5:00PM0.55m | 5:29AM0.54m | 5:52PM0.79m | 6:26AM0.81m | 7:02PM1.03m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 5:41 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — |
 | — | 8:59 | — | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:55 | — | — | 8:53 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:49 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 24 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 18 |
Feels °C | 16 | 19 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 10 | W 8 | W 8 | ENE 4 | SW 8 | WSW 8 | E 5 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | SW 8 | — | — | S 13 | — | SW 6 | — | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 5 | W 5 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 14 | — | — | 3 | — | 15 | — | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 8 | W 10 | E 6 | WSW 8 | E 4 | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | W 11 | — | W 10 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 11 | — | E 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 12 | — | W 9 | S 11 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 2 | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 3 | N 3 | NE 4 | — | — | ENE 2 | — | WSW 3 | SSW 2 | SSW 3 | SW 6 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SW 7 | WNW 3 | WSW 3 | NNW 2 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 4 | 1 | 6 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 7 | 29 | 14 | 31 | 52 | 2 | 10 | 1 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 135 | 137 | 87 | 378 | 135 | 81 | 84 | 113 | 105 | 138 | 138 | 265 | 322 | 2249 | 112 | 30 | 513 | 131 | 258 | 480 | 499 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Devon | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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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