Paignton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you: we’ve got a bit of a dry spell on the horizon for Paignton. The next week and a half is looking pretty grim for a paddle, but there’s a tiny flicker of hope right at the very end of the 16-day window. Let’s break it down.

First up, the water is running much warmer than normal for the time of year, sitting at 67°F — that’s a solid 7°F above average, which is very unusual. You’ll feel it.

We start with a pulse of swell from the east on Sunday the 12th, pushing 6ft, but it’s a short-period 6-second windswell with a combined energy of just 240 — weak. The wind is a fresh 19 mph from the ENE, putting it cross-on to the beach. It’s lumpy, messy, and honestly, not worth getting wet for. The score is a big zero. Monday the 13th sees the swell jump to 8ft, and the period stretches to 8 seconds with energy hitting 805 (moderate), but that east wind is still onshore at 16–19 mph. That’s a lot of water moving around but blown out completely. Too big for a beginner and only worth a look for experts if you’re desperate, but the quality is poor.

By Tuesday afternoon the 14th, the swell drops to 4ft with a short 7-second period and energy drops to 103. The wind swings SE at 9 mph, but it’s still cross-on and choppy. Wednesday and Thursday the 15th and 16th see the swell fade away into nothing, with energy dropping to 41 and then just 8. By Thursday afternoon, the wind swings SSW at 12 mph, going cross-off, and the ocean goes clean — but there’s zero swell. Glassy and clean doesn’t mean a thing if there’s no wave.

From Friday the 17th through to Saturday the 26th, it’s a long, flat stretch. No swell, no energy, nothing. The wind’s often light and clean, sometimes even glassy on the 22nd and 26th, but with no waves, it’s a total shutout. There’s a solid 10-day gap with no surf to speak of. That’s a tough run for Paignton.

Then, on the very last day of the forecast, Saturday the 25th, there’s a whisper of a swell. A tiny 0.7ft, 3-second period windswell from the north, with 1 unit of energy. It’s basically nothing. The wind is NW 12 mph, cross-off, keeping it clean. But you’d need a micro-skim board to ride that. It’s not really surfable.

So, the honest truth? There’s no standout in this 16-day window. The only break we have is Paignton itself, and it’s an inconsistent spot that rarely fires. The best chance, if you’re a total optimist, is the early pulse on Monday the 13th, but with onshore wind and poor conditions, it’s a miss. The rest is a flat, long wait. For a beach setup like this, when the swell is significant but the wind is strong and the quality is poor, it’s more interesting for kite surfers than paddle surfers. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, maybe wax the board and stare at the ceiling.

Rusty.

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