Paignton Surf Break

Lat Long: 50.43° N 3.56° W

Paignton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 am 11 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Paignton sea temperature is
18.2° C
2.7° 

Paignton surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Paignton surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Monday 13 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 8s period, E swell with 805 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Paignton this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Paignton in the next 16 days are 2.5m 8s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 13) 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 0.9m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 16) at 7PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 7AM (Mon 13th Jul)8ft (2.5m) 8s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Paignton over the next 16 days.


Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for Paignton over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be honest with you – this is a tough one. The next 16 days are looking pretty grim for any kind of decent surf. We’ve got a long stretch of poor conditions ahead. The first real sniff of a wave doesn’t even show up until Friday the 10th of July, and even then it’s nothing to write home about. We’re looking at a tiny 2ft easterly windswell with a period of only 4 seconds. The wind is onshore from the ESE at 9 mph, so it’s choppy and messy. Water temp is sitting at 65°, which is way warmer than normal for this time of year – more than 5° above average – so you won’t need a thick wetsuit, but that’s about the only good news.

Saturday morning the 11th shows a little more size, with 4ft from the east, but that 6-second period is still short and weak. The wind picks up to 16 mph from the ENE, making it a cross-onshore choppy mess. The combined energy is only 132 (moderate), but it’s all messy. Not worth paddling out.

Sunday the 12th and Monday the 13th bring the biggest swell of the period, with heights reaching 8ft by Monday morning. But before you get excited, the period is only 7-8 seconds, and the wind is a solid 19-22 mph cross-onshore. The wave energy jumps up to 682 (moderate/strong) but the quality is just poor – lumpy, blown-out, and only for the experienced guys who don’t mind a beating. For beginners, anything over 5ft is too much, and this is well over.

Tuesday the 14th through Friday the 17th sees the swell slowly drop off, but the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, keeping things messy. By Thursday the 16th, the swell dies completely, and we’re looking at zero surf for several days. That flat spell runs from Thursday the 16th all the way through to the end of the outlook on the 25th of July, with only a few tiny, weak pulses on the 19th and 20th that are barely worth a mention.

The 19th of July sees a tiny 2ft from the north with a 4-second period – that’s barely a ripple. The 20th of July is similar, with 3ft from the east. Both are wind-affected and poor.

So, the one standout – if you can call it that – is the window around Sunday the 12th and Monday the 13th. The swell is biggest there, but it’s a real challenge. Paignton itself is a beginner-friendly spot usually, but with 7ft to 8ft of short-period, onshore slop, it’s going to be a battle. The wind is cross-onshore, making it lumpy. This is more of a “watch and learn” setup than a “go paddle out” one. Honestly, the setup on those bigger days looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, given the strong onshore winds and messy waves.

For the rest of the period, it’s a flat, frustrating run. Summers can be like this here – sometimes you just get a blank run. Forecasts can change, but right now, there’s nothing clean or rideable on the horizon.

Stay patient, lads. Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NNE on Fri night, fresh winds from the E by Sun afternoon).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 16°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Mon night, light winds from the NNE by Tue night).

Saturday
11
Sunday
12
Monday
13
Tuesday
14
Wednesday
15
Thursday
16
Friday
17
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.2
E
6
1.1
E
6
1.2
E
6
1.7
E
6
2
E
7
2.3
E
7
2.4
E
8
2.1
E
8
2.1
E
7
1.9
E
7
1.3
E
7
0.7
E
6
0.8
E
6
0.6
E
5
0.3
E
5
0.3
SW
6
0.8
SW
4
0.4
SW
4
0.3
SW
6
0.6
SW
4
0.3
SW
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
106
80
96
243
353
553
724
487
449
381
150
30
46
21
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
Wind (km/h)
25
ENE
15
E
20
NE
30
ENE
35
E
35
NE
30
ENE
20
E
25
ENE
30
ENE
20
ESE
15
NNE
20
NE
10
ESE
10
NW
10
WSW
25
SW
5
WSW
5
E
15
WNW
15
WNW
Wind State
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
off
High Tide
4:20PM3.12m
4:59AM3.10m
5:40PM3.34m
6:17AM3.30m
6:44PM3.61m
7:17AM3.52m
7:38PM3.87m
8:08AM3.68m
8:25PM4.06m
8:54AM3.77m
9:09PM4.13m
9:37AM3.76m
9:50PM4.09m
Low Tide
9:40AM0.79m
10:18PM0.79m
10:46AM0.64m
11:21PM0.53m
11:43AM0.45m
00:16AM0.28m
12:34PM0.27m
1:06AM0.08m
1:21PM0.15m
1:53AM-0.04m
2:06PM0.10m
2:37AM-0.06m
2:49PM0.13m
3:20AM0.02m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
thunderstorm
thunderstorm
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:13
5:15
5:16
5:18
5:18
5:20
5:20
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
9:22
9:22
9:22
9:21
9:20
9:19
9:17
 mm
1
4
Temp °C
24
25
24
26
27
24
23
23
22
23
25
22
21
22
21
25
24
19
21
22
18
Feels °C
21
23
22
21
21
18
19
19
19
19
21
22
20
22
21
23
21
19
22
21
16
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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