Paignton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’m Rusty, and I’ve looked at what’s cookin’ for your local break. Gotta be honest – it’s a grim outlook. This whole 16-day window is a bust. There’s no standout session anywhere in sight.

First off, the water. At Paignton, the temp is 68°, which is a whopping 5° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s very unusual – the ocean feels like a warm bath, not typical August.

The forecast starts now, and the first recommendation is for Sunday morning, August 16th. But it’s a joke. We’ve got a tiny 1ft swell from the northeast, with a crappy 3-second period and a combined energy of just 3. That’s weak, barely a ripple. The wind is cross-on from the NNE at 6 mph, so it’s messy. Poor surf.

From Sunday afternoon right through to the morning of Sunday, August 23rd, there’s a massive gap – over a week – with zero decent surf. The guidance says Paignton is inconsistent, and this stretch proves it. You’ll see plenty of clean, offshore winds in that period, especially on Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th, with winds from the west up to 22 mph, but it’s all flat. No waves at all.

There’s a small bump around Sunday morning, August 23rd: a 6ft swell from the east-northeast, with a period of 7 seconds and a combined energy of 268 – that’s moderate energy. But it’s “poor surf conditions” with a cross-onshore wind from the NNE at 12 mph making it choppy. That size is okay for intermediate surfers, but the wind and short period ruin it.

After that, the rest of the window into late August and early September is just tiny, weak swells – mostly under 2ft, with periods of 3 to 6 seconds, and combined energy rarely hitting double digits. It’s all cross-on or onshore wind and poor quality.

So, the truth is: there are no good surf options in the entire 16-day forecast. The only upside is that Paignton is fairly exposed, so it doesn’t stay this flat forever – forecasts can change. But for now, stash the board. This is a total blank run.

Rusty.

Read more