Surf Forecasts:
Paignton surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period, ENE swell with 39 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Paignton this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Paignton in the next 16 days are 0.7m 6s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Paignton over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here with a look at the local surf for the next couple of weeks. Let's talk straight—no point sugar-coating it.
Right now, and for the foreseeable future, it's a long, dry spell. We're looking at a significant gap in any decent surf. From today, Sunday the 2nd of August, right through until the morning of Saturday the 15th of August, it’s going to be a real struggle. Most days show no swell at all, and the few tiny bumps we do get (like 1 ft from the ENE on Sunday afternoon) are just not worth wetting a wetsuit for. The energy is tiny, with values like 5 and 1, so it's a flat spell with a capital F.
The only glimmer on the horizon for this stretch is Paignton. It’s an inconsistent, beginner-friendly spot, and you can sometimes find a few others out there. The water temp is feeling about average for this time of year.
Saturday 15th August finally brings something to talk about. Saturday morning we see the first proper pulse of swell, with waves building to 5 ft from the ENE. The energy is creeping up to 94, and the wind is light from the WSW, keeping things clean. It's not a standout, but it's the first rideable option in weeks. Saturday afternoon gets bigger, with 6 ft from the east, but the wind picks up and the combo makes for poor conditions.
Sunday 16th August sees the swell push further, hitting a solid 7 ft from the east. The wave energy climbs into the moderate range (408 and 395). This is right on the cusp of being too big for beginners, but it’s still a bit messy.
Now, the best on offer for the entire period is Monday morning, 17th August. The swell hits its peak at 7 ft from the east, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 548. The wind is light from the WSW, which means clean conditions. It's still a crowded setup that can get a bit tricky at a beach break, but for the experienced surfer, this is the window to watch. Just remember, that's a long way off, so treat it as a promising possibility rather than a guarantee.
So, grab a coffee and watch the charts. It tends not to stay this flat for long. The 17th is the one to circle on the calendar.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun night, fresh winds from the SW by Tue afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Wed afternoon, min 14°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 3 | ENE 4 | W 10 | ENE 6 | E 5 | E 4 | WSW 8 | SSW 4 | SW 4 | SSW 7 | WSW 4 | W 3 | SW 6 | WSW 3 | NW 2 | W 10 | S 12 | N 2 | W 9 | W 9 | NNW 3 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 5 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:47AM3.57m | 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 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 18 |
Feels °C | 16 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | SW 8 | E 6 | E 5 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | — | — | SSW 7 | S 13 | — | SW 6 | — | SW 5 | SW 5 | W 9 | — | W 9 | W 9 | — |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | 3 | 26 | 14 | 6 | 25 | — | — | 29 | 3 | — | 5 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 8 | W 10 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | E 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 12 | S 12 | — | W 10 | S 12 | — | — | — | W 9 |
| kJ | — | 7 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 11 | — | — | — | SW 12 | W 6 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 3 | ENE 4 | — | ENE 6 | — | WSW 2 | SSW 4 | SSW 4 | SW 4 | W 3 | WSW 4 | W 3 | WNW 2 | WSW 3 | NW 2 | — | SW 2 | N 2 | — | SW 2 | NNW 3 |
| kJ | 5 | 1 | — | 39 | — | 1 | 19 | 19 | 22 | 2 | 27 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 3 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 480 | 135 | 81 | 81 | 136 | 136 | 265 | 126 | 246 | 112 | 246 | 161 | 137 | 156 | 135 | 450 | 513 | 252 | 441 | 483 | 135 |
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)
Latest Updates
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