Surf Forecasts:
Paignton surf forecast from 22 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 23 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 0.5ft (0.2m), 2s period, NNE swell with 1 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Paignton this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Paignton in the next 16 days are 0.2m 2s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 23) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 0.5ft (0.2m) 2s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Paignton over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s break down what’s coming.
Straight up, this forecast is a flat spell for Paignton. Over the next two weeks, there’s almost nothing on the table for surf. The entire 16-day window is dominated by very low or zero swell energy, with a weak pulse popping up only on Friday the 24th of July and another on Wednesday the 5th of August, but even then it’s tiny. The first real surf recommendation doesn’t even appear until Friday morning the 24th, and that’s being generous. After that Friday blip, it’s back to flat or near-flat conditions all the way through to the end of the outlook.
There’s a long gap of no real surf from Saturday the 25th of July all the way to Tuesday the 4th of August, when we see barely a ripple. Then on Wednesday the 5th of August, there’s a small ESE / NNE bump but nothing worth getting excited about.
The only break in the mix is Paignton, which is a beginner spot that’s inconsistent and only fairly exposed to easterly swell. The optimum swell direction is from the East, but the tiny swells we see are from the ESE and NE, so it’s not matching up well at all. For a true standout, there isn’t one in this period.
On the Friday morning of the 24th of July, we get a glassy morning with a tiny 0.7 ft swell from the ESE at 3 seconds—that’s windswell with no energy (combined energy of all swells directed here is just 1). It’s clean, but it’s barely rideable for even a beginner. The afternoon stays small at 0.7 ft, 4 seconds, also clean, but again it’s really marginal.
Given the sea surface temperature reading of 67 °F on the morning of the 22nd of July and a water temperature anomaly of 3 °F relative to the long-term average, the water is much warmer than normal for the time of year off Paignton—pretty unusual.
With no significant swell on the horizon and poor quality overall, the setup here looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing when the winds do pick up later in the period.
Hang tight—forecasts can change, but right now, this is a flat spell that’ll test your patience.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Sat afternoon, calm by Mon morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 10 | — | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | ESE 3 | ESE 3 | ESE 4 | NNW 2 | — | W 4 | W 3 | SW 6 | SW 6 | NW 3 | W 10 | SW 3 | WSW 5 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 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 | on | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 12:50PM2.93m | 1:02AM2.85m | 1:36PM2.75m | 1:54AM2.63m | 2:38PM2.64m | 3:12AM2.51m | 4:16PM2.64m | 5:04AM2.57m | 5:43PM2.81m | 6:13AM2.76m | 6:34PM3.06m | 6:57AM2.98m | 7:13PM3.31m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:35PM1.23m | 7:11AM1.21m | 7:53PM1.41m | 8:31AM1.36m | 9:21PM1.44m | 9:49AM1.35m | 10:31PM1.32m | 10:50AM1.22m | 11:24PM1.14m | 11:37AM1.04m | 00:07AM0.92m | 12:17PM0.84m | 00:45AM0.70m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:26 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:12 | — | — | 9:10 | — | — | 9:09 | — | — | 9:08 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:06 | — | — | 9:05 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 20 | 24 | 23 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 24 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 20 |
Feels °C | 19 | 24 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 9 | ESE 3 | ESE 3 | ESE 4 | — | — | — | — | SW 6 | SW 6 | WSW 5 | SW 5 | — | WSW 5 | SW 5 | W 9 | WSW 4 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 9 | — | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | — | — | — | — | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | — | W 9 | W 9 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NNW 2 | — | W 4 | W 3 | NW 3 | WNW 3 | NW 3 | — | SW 3 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 13 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 6 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 499 | 467 | 321 | 87 | 113 | 105 | 553 | 778 | 496 | 486 | 468 | 246 | 592 | 130 | 40 | 136 | 150 | 81 | 119 | 279 | 138 |
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.
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