Paignton Surf Break

Lat Long: 50.43° N 3.56° W

Paignton Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 am 16 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Paignton sea temperature is
19.7° C
2.9° 

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


Paignton surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, ENE swell with 268 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Paignton this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Paignton in the next 16 days are 1.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) 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 0.9m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 4PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful10AM (Sun 23rd Aug)5.5ft (1.7m) 7s

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


The Lowdown

Alright, I’m Rusty, and I’ve looked at what’s cookin’ for your local break. Gotta be honest – it’s a grim outlook. This whole 16-day window is a bust. There’s no standout session anywhere in sight.

First off, the water. At Paignton, the temp is 68°, which is a whopping 5° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s very unusual – the ocean feels like a warm bath, not typical August.

The forecast starts now, and the first recommendation is for Sunday morning, August 16th. But it’s a joke. We’ve got a tiny 1ft swell from the northeast, with a crappy 3-second period and a combined energy of just 3. That’s weak, barely a ripple. The wind is cross-on from the NNE at 6 mph, so it’s messy. Poor surf.

From Sunday afternoon right through to the morning of Sunday, August 23rd, there’s a massive gap – over a week – with zero decent surf. The guidance says Paignton is inconsistent, and this stretch proves it. You’ll see plenty of clean, offshore winds in that period, especially on Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th, with winds from the west up to 22 mph, but it’s all flat. No waves at all.

There’s a small bump around Sunday morning, August 23rd: a 6ft swell from the east-northeast, with a period of 7 seconds and a combined energy of 268 – that’s moderate energy. But it’s “poor surf conditions” with a cross-onshore wind from the NNE at 12 mph making it choppy. That size is okay for intermediate surfers, but the wind and short period ruin it.

After that, the rest of the window into late August and early September is just tiny, weak swells – mostly under 2ft, with periods of 3 to 6 seconds, and combined energy rarely hitting double digits. It’s all cross-on or onshore wind and poor quality.

So, the truth is: there are no good surf options in the entire 16-day forecast. The only upside is that Paignton is fairly exposed, so it doesn’t stay this flat forever – forecasts can change. But for now, stash the board. This is a total blank run.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Wed morning, min 12°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Wed afternoon, calm by Fri morning).

Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
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)
0.4
NE
3
0.2
ENE
3
0.1
W
7
0.6
WSW
3
0.3
WSW
5
0.1
S
16
0.6
WSW
3
0.1
S
17
0.1
S
16
0.9
WSW
4
0.9
WSW
4
0.8
WSW
4
0.5
SW
6
0.3
SW
6
0.2
WSW
5
0.1
S
13
0.4
NNW
3
0.1
S
15
0.1
S
15
0.6
ENE
3
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
8
Wind (km/h)
10
NNE
10
SSE
5
WNW
10
WNW
15
WNW
15
W
20
W
25
W
15
W
25
WNW
35
W
25
W
30
WNW
35
WNW
15
WNW
15
NNW
5
WSW
15
NW
15
N
10
E
15
NNW
Wind State
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross
on
cross-off
High Tide
9:59PM3.96m
10:20AM3.66m
10:31PM3.71m
10:51AM3.45m
11:01PM3.41m
11:21AM3.22m
11:33PM3.11m
11:54AM2.97m
00:10AM2.82m
12:36PM2.74m
00:59AM2.56m
1:38PM2.55m
2:18AM2.39m
Low Tide
3:06PM0.10m
3:30AM0.07m
3:42PM0.28m
4:04AM0.31m
4:17PM0.52m
4:37AM0.60m
4:53PM0.82m
5:12AM0.92m
5:32PM1.13m
5:53AM1.24m
6:26PM1.44m
7:03AM1.52m
8:30PM1.62m
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:03
6:03
6:05
6:07
6:09
6:09
6:11
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:31
8:30
8:29
8:27
8:24
8:22
8:21
 mm
Temp °C
20
21
18
23
25
18
24
24
17
20
20
16
19
20
16
18
19
13
18
19
16
Feels °C
19
20
19
23
23
17
22
20
15
14
13
11
13
14
12
16
17
9
15
16
12
  • 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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