
Surf Forecasts:
Paignton surf forecast from 5 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 6 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 4s period, SE swell with 7 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Paignton this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Paignton in the next 16 days are 0.5m 4s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 06) 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 1.4m 10s period and expected on Tuesday (Sep 08) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sun 6th Sep) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 4s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Paignton over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, it’s Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it. Looking at the charts for Paignton, and I’ll be honest, we’ve got a bit of a waiting game on our hands. The next week and a half is looking pretty poor, with only tiny, weak pulses of swell. There’s a lot of flatness and close-outs in the mix, so you might be better off waxing a longboard or just having a beach day instead.
The good news is that things start to look a little more promising towards the end of the forecast window. The water’s running at about 66°F which is much warmer than normal for this time of year. We’ve got a lot of wind early on, mostly offshore which keeps the surface clean, but without any real swell, it’s just a washing machine out there.
Starting this Friday the 4th and into the weekend, it’s flat. There’s no energy at all. Saturday the 5th has some clean conditions but with nothing to ride. We finally see a knee-high wobble kick in on Sunday the 6th, with a SE swell at 1ft and a period of only 4 seconds. That’s not even worth suiting up for. And the wind is onshore, making it a bit choppy.
We’ve got a solid stretch of flat days from Monday the 7th all the way through to Sunday the 13th. The wind will be blowing offshore and cross-offshore, keeping things glassy at times, but there is simply no swell. It’s a long, dry spell.
Things start to stir a little on Monday the 14th, with a small easterly pulse to 2ft. The period is still short though, around 4-5 seconds, and it's weak energy in the water. There’s some more of the same on Tuesday the 15th, a bit of inconsistent push to 2ft, but it's not doing much. It’s all short-period windswell.
The end of the week sees a slight uptick again. On Thursday the 17th, we get a light NE swell with a period of 3-4 seconds, but Friday the 18th is where it gets a little more interesting. We’ve got a morning glass-off with a small easterly swell at 3ft. It's still not big, but with the light winds and a period of 5 seconds, it’s the cleanest it’s been all week.
Now for the standout. Saturday the 19th is the day to keep an eye on. We've got a building swell from the east pushing 6ft in the morning with a period of 6 seconds. The energy jumps right up, which is the first strong reading we’ve seen in this whole outlook. The wind is dead calm, glassy as can be. This will be the biggest and cleanest surf of the entire period. This is the one to circle on the calendar. It's still a short-period swell, so it might not be the most powerful, but it'll be a world away from what we've been dealing with. It’s a bit on the bigger side, so maybe not ideal for the total beginners, but for the rest of us, it’ll be worth it. The afternoon sees it back off slightly to 5ft with a light cross-onshore breeze coming in. The energy is still solid, but the morning is the clear pick.
So, there you have it. A long, flat start, and one promising day at the end. Get your gear ready for the 19th.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | ||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 5 | SW 5 | WSW 7 | SW 7 | S 13 | SE 4 | SE 4 | E 4 | E 4 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | SW 11 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 6 | W 3 | WSW 5 | SW 4 | SW 5 | SW 5 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 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 | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 00:14AM3.02m | 12:49PM2.94m | 1:32AM2.74m | 2:21PM2.80m | 3:26AM2.67m | 4:14PM2.93m | 5:08AM2.91m | 5:33PM3.27m | 6:10AM3.25m | 6:26PM3.63m | 6:56AM3.56m | 7:10PM3.91m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:26PM0.77m | 5:55AM0.94m | 6:37PM1.11m | 7:20AM1.24m | 8:31PM1.25m | 9:14AM1.26m | 10:11PM1.03m | 10:34AM1.00m | 11:13PM0.68m | 11:29AM0.67m | 00:00AM0.34m | 12:13PM0.37m | 00:41AM0.07m | |||||||
— | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:39 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 5 | SW 5 | WSW 7 | W 12 | SW 7 | W 7 | W 8 | E 4 | WSW 14 | — | — | SW 11 | — | W 10 | WSW 6 | — | W 8 | W 12 | W 12 | W 11 |
7 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 39 | — | — | 29 | — | 2 | 8 | — | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 8 | W 11 | S 13 | W 10 | W 10 | — | SSE 4 | E 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | W 10 | W 14 | SW 13 | S 13 | S 13 | — | SW 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
4 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 3 | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 3 | WNW 3 | — | SW 7 | — | SE 4 | SE 4 | WSW 2 | WSW 4 | WSW 13 | WSW 12 | — | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | W 3 | W 3 | WSW 5 | SW 4 | SW 5 | SW 5 |
7 | 3 | — | 7 | — | 4 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 215 | 158 | — | 17 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 53 | 53 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 193 | 159 | 29 | 88 | 81 | 92 | 126 | 104 | 515 | 193 | 64 | 115 | 303 | 457 | 494 | 193 | 104 | 104 | 104 | 251 |
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.










