Paignton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. I’ve scanned the charts for the next couple of weeks, and it’s a tough one. We’ve got a long stretch of flat, poor conditions ahead, so if you’re itching for a wave, you might want to find a new hobby for a bit. There’s a real gap here, so don’t hold your breath.

The first sign of anything surfable pops up on Saturday the 8th, but honestly, it’s a tease. We’re looking at a tiny 1 ft of east-southeast swell, with the period a weak 3 seconds. The energy is a pathetic 1 (weak). It’s not worth paddling out for. The wind is onshore too, so it’ll be bumpy. We’ll hold off on that one.

Sunday the 9th is more of the same – 1 ft of east-southeast swell, still with that short 4-second period. The energy is still weak at 3. Not exactly firing. The morning has a slight cross-onshore breeze, but the afternoon cleans up a touch. Still pretty average.

Monday the 10th? Flat. Nothing doing. Save your energy.

We get a little pulse on Tuesday the 11th. The morning is still flat, but by the afternoon, we see the swell start to build to 3 ft from the east with a 5-second period. The energy picks up to 52, which is still weak. The wind is straight onshore though, and even at 15 mph, it’s going to mess it up. Not good.

Wednesday the 12th actually sees the most swell of the whole run. By the morning, we’re looking at 5 ft of east swell with a 7-second period. Energy is up to 220, which is moderate. But, the wind is howling onshore from the east at 15 mph. The surface is going to be a mess. It’s a lot of water moving but not in a good way. We’ll call it poor. The afternoon backs down to 4 ft.

From Thursday the 13th onward, it just fades away. We get some clean, glassy conditions and even offshore winds, but there’s just no swell. It’s flat out. The rest of the run is a dusting of tiny waves or nothing at all. The combined energy levels are all in the single digits or zero (weak), which is the most frustrating part. The surf quality is continuously reported as poor.

The one thing we have going for us is the water. It’s a balmy 67°—which is running about 5° warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s pretty notable for the first spot, Paignton. The water will feel great, it’s just a shame there’s nothing to ride.

Honestly, if you’re a kitesurfer, those strong onshore and cross-shore winds in the second week might get you excited, especially with that bigger swell on Wednesday. But for us surfers? It’s a dead period. We’d be waiting a long time. Hang loose, check back later, and maybe the ocean will change its mind.

Rusty.

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