
Surf Forecasts:
Paignton surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 6s period, ENE swell with 64 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Paignton this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Paignton in the next 16 days are 0.9m 6s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 04) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Paignton over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this is a tough one. The outlook for the next sixteen days is a real bummer. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing on the cards, so you might as well wax the longboard for the living room floor.
Right now, on Sunday the 2nd, we’re looking at tiny, weak slop. The swell is a pathetic 1 ft from the NE with a period of just 3 seconds – that’s pure wind chop. The combined energy is a measly 3 (3). The wind is a cross-on from the ENE, which is just messing up what little is there. The water is a very unusual 67°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. It’s a no-go.
Monday the 3rd offers a tiny bit of hope, but it’s still not good. The morning sees a 3 ft swell from the ENE, but with a short 6-second period and a cross-on breeze, it’s just messy. The combined energy ticks up to 112 (112) which is moderate, but the quality is poor. The afternoon cleans up with a cross-off wind from the SSW, but the swell drops back to 2 ft, so it’s barely a ripple.
Then the plug gets pulled. From Tuesday the 4th all the way through to Sunday the 16th, there is effectively zero surfable swell. The guidance shows nothing but zeros for energy day after day. The wind is clean offshore on a few of those days, but it doesn’t matter because there’s nothing to ride. We are talking about a gap of nearly two weeks with no recommendations.
The only break on the radar is Paignton. It’s a beginner spot that is inconsistent at the best of times, and this is not the best of times. It’s fairly exposed to the east, but there’s no east swell to speak of. The water temp anomaly is a massive 3° warmer than average, which is very unusual, but it won’t help you catch a wave.
Look, if you see a clean offshore day and some swell pops up, it might be worth a dice roll, but based on this forecast, don’t get your hopes up. The finder has no good options at all, and for this area, that’s just how it goes sometimes.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Mon afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the E on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the SW by Tue afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Wed morning, light winds from the W by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NE 3 | ENE 4 | E 3 | ENE 6 | E 6 | E 4 | SSW 4 | SW 4 | SW 6 | SW 7 | SW 4 | WSW 3 | WSW 7 | SW 4 | SW 5 | W 10 | S 12 | S 11 | W 9 | WSW 4 | W 3 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
3 | 2 | 1 | 64 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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 | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off |
High Tide | 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 | 2:27PM2.90m | 3:14AM2.81m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 7:46AM1.04m | 8:38PM1.12m | ||||||||
5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | |
— | 8:57 | — | — | 8:55 | — | — | 8:53 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:46 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 24 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 15 |
Feels °C | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | SW 8 | E 6 | E 6 | E 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 6 | — | SW 5 | SW 5 | W 9 | SW 4 | W 9 | — | W 8 |
1 | 1 | 3 | 48 | 21 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 11 | W 10 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 7 | SW 12 | — | W 10 | S 12 | W 9 | — | — | — |
— | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 6 | — | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 12 | — | S 12 | — | — | S 11 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NE 3 | ENE 4 | E 3 | ENE 6 | — | WSW 3 | SSW 4 | SW 4 | SW 6 | SW 7 | SW 4 | WSW 3 | WNW 2 | SW 4 | NW 2 | — | SW 2 | — | WSW 3 | WSW 4 | W 3 |
3 | 2 | 1 | 64 | — | 2 | 19 | 24 | 71 | 132 | 37 | 9 | 1 | 12 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 25 | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 480 | 135 | 81 | 81 | 119 | 108 | 104 | 193 | 276 | 246 | 246 | 115 | 156 | 193 | 167 | 417 | 494 | 417 | 271 | 159 | 116 |
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.











