Paignton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, it’s your man Rusty here. I’ve had a proper look at the next 16 days for our stretch of coast, and I’ll be straight with you—it’s a tough one. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with hardly any surf to get excited about. The good news is there are a couple of tiny windows, but you’ll need to be patient and manage your expectations.

First up, the overall pattern: there’s simply no swell for most of the period. The first real sniff of anything rideable doesn’t show up until around Sunday the 6th of September. Before that, it’s all flat and poor conditions, with cross-offshore breezes and zero wave energy making it a total write-off for the first week. The water temp is sitting at 66°F, which is 4° warmer than usual for this time of year, so it’s notably warm, but that’s small comfort when there’s no surf.

The only spot in the book is Paignton. It’s a beginner-friendly, fairly exposed beach break, but it’s also inconsistent, so it rarely fires. The standout—if you can call it that—comes on Sunday 6th September. In the morning, we’ve got some weak swell from the southeast at 2ft with a period of just 4 seconds. That’s short period, windswell stuff, not much power behind it, and the combined energy is a paltry 14 (weak). The wind is a gentle cross-onshore from the ESE at 9 mph, so it’ll be a bit choppy. The afternoon sees a tiny bump to 2ft from the SE, same short period (4 seconds), energy at 21, and still that onshore flow. It’s not great, but it’s the only real chance to get wet. For beginners, it’s small enough to be fine.

After that, we get a few faint pulses. Monday 7th September morning has an even smaller 1.0ft from the east with a 5-second period, but the wind shifts offshore from the WNW at 6 mph, so it’ll be clean. The afternoon is only 0.7ft from the east, 4-second period, with offshore wind at 12 mph. Honestly, these are barely rideable, but if you’re desperate, the clean conditions might give you something to push around on.

Then from Tuesday 8th September right through to Wednesday 16th September, it’s a total flat spell. The guidance shows no swell at all, just “poor surf conditions” day after day. The wind stays mostly offshore or cross-offshore, so the sea surface will be clean, but there’s simply no wave energy—combined energy reads 0 every time. You’ll be looking at a glassy or rippled ocean with no surf. The last day, Wednesday 16th, does show a tiny 1.0ft from the north-northeast with a 3-second period and 2 energy, but it’s too small to matter.

So, the best on offer? It has to be that Sunday 6th September, with the afternoon session at Paignton giving you the biggest (if you can call 2ft big) and most consistent (relatively speaking) swell of the whole forecast. The wind isn’t ideal, but it’s not a total blowout. For beginners, it’s a safe window. For everyone else, set the alarm for the 6th and don’t hold your breath for anything else.

That’s the lot. The forecast can always change, but as it stands, we’ve got a long stretch of flat water ahead.

Rusty.

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