Surf Forecasts:
Paignton surf forecast from 17 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 5s period, E swell with 69 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Paignton this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Paignton in the next 16 days are 1.1m 5s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) 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 0.6m 3s period and expected on Friday (Jul 17) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 5s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Paignton over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, this is a tough one. We’re looking at a pretty flat run for the vast majority of the sixteen-day window. The water is sitting at a very unusual 66° – that’s a huge 6° warmer than average for this time of year, which is a real oddity for Paignton. But warmth doesn’t make waves.
The only real pulse of energy comes early on. Friday the 17th sees a tiny bit of swell push in, but with a weak 2 ft from the east at a short 6-second period, and combined energy of just 15, it’s not going to do much. The morning is glassy, but the waves are just too small and weak to bother with. By Friday afternoon, the wind really swings around to a strong 19 mph southwesterly, and the swell drops to 1.0 ft. It’s a write-off for surfing.
Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th are the only days with any real wave height. On Sunday morning, we see a bump to 4 ft from the east, with period holding at 5 seconds and combined energy reaching 86 (moderate). But the wind is a cross-onshore at 16 mph, which will chop it up. It’s not clean, and the break is inconsistent and exposed to the east. It’s a beginner spot, but this is a bit messy for learning.
From Monday the 20th onward, the swell completely dies. We have days and days of zero wave energy. From Monday the 20th through to the end of the month and into the 1st of August, the combined energy is a flat 0. There’s a brief glimmer of hope on the 23rd with a 2 ft easterly, but it’s wind-affected and the energy is only 17. Not enough.
Wednesday the 22nd and into the final days of July and the start of August, the wind does go offshore or glassy at times, but there’s nothing to ride. It’s just clean, flat water.
So, the standout – if you can call it that – is the Sunday morning session on the 19th. It’s the biggest swell of the whole period, but the conditions are far from perfect. It’s more of a "watch it and see if it cleans up" kind of day. For the rest of the time, it’s a board off the car roof and a long walk on the beach.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 6 | E 5 | NW 3 | NE 4 | ENE 4 | E 3 | E 5 | E 6 | ESE 5 | E 4 | E 5 | E 4 | E 2 | E 4 | E 4 | — | — | NE 3 | E 4 | E 5 | E 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 15 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 69 | 49 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 17 | 19 | 3 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:50PM4.09m | 10:18AM3.68m | 10:30PM3.93m | 10:57AM3.53m | 11:07PM3.70m | 11:34AM3.33m | 11:44PM3.41m | 12:11PM3.13m | 00:21AM3.12m | 12:50PM2.93m | 1:02AM2.85m | 1:36PM2.75m | 1:54AM2.63m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:49PM0.13m | 3:20AM0.02m | 3:31PM0.26m | 4:02AM0.18m | 4:12PM0.46m | 4:43AM0.42m | 4:55PM0.70m | 5:25AM0.69m | 5:40PM0.97m | 6:11AM0.97m | 6:35PM1.23m | 7:11AM1.21m | 7:53PM1.41m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:20 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:17 | — | — | 9:16 | — | — | 9:15 | — | — | 9:15 | — | — | 9:14 | — | — | 9:12 | — | — | 9:10 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 26 | 22 | 21 | 25 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 19 | 19 | 23 | 21 |
Feels °C | 20 | 23 | 20 | 18 | 23 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 5 | SW 4 | — | ENE 4 | — | W 8 | E 5 | ESE 5 | E 4 | E 5 | E 4 | E 5 | E 4 | E 4 | — | — | — | W 9 | E 5 | E 4 |
| kJ | 15 | 4 | 1 | — | 3 | — | 1 | 37 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | 2 | 19 | 3 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | S 12 | — | W 8 | — | W 8 | W 11 | W 11 | — | E 5 | W 9 | W 8 | W 11 | W 10 | WSW 3 | — | — | W 9 | — | W 9 | — |
| kJ | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | 2 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | SW 12 | SW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | W 7 | E 5 | — | W 11 | W 8 | W 7 | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 3 | 6 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 3 | NW 3 | NE 4 | — | E 3 | E 5 | E 6 | — | — | — | — | E 2 | — | — | — | — | NE 3 | E 4 | — | — |
| kJ | — | 6 | 1 | 6 | — | 5 | 69 | 49 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 17 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 378 | 908 | 486 | 495 | 529 | 257 | 482 | 135 | 374 | 460 | 483 | 460 | 98 | 138 | 476 | 776 | 193 | 207 | 105 | 135 | 460 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Devon | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Paignton surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest