Surf Forecasts:
Paignton surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 15 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 4s period, NNE swell with 8 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Paignton this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Paignton in the next 16 days are 0.5m 4s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 15) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Sat 15th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 4s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Paignton over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve got to be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch ahead. For the next week and a bit, it’s a total write-off. There’s nothing to get excited about. We’re looking at a long, quiet spell from right now through to August 22nd. The water is sitting at a very unusual 67°F – that’s much warmer than normal for the time of year at Paignton, but that’s about the only thing that’s out of the ordinary.
The wait is real. It’s basically flat with clean, glassy days, but no swell to push through. The wind is often offshore on some afternoons and mornings, which would be perfect... if there were any waves. From the 15th to the 22nd, it's a zero on the scoreboard. No surf to speak of. Hang in there.
Alright, so when does it get interesting? Not until Sunday, August 23rd. That’s a solid 8-day gap. On Sunday morning, a pulse of new swell finally shows up. It’s a 5ft swell from the NNE, blowing a fresh cross-onshore wind at 19 mph. The combined energy is weak though (91), and the period is short at 5 seconds – not much grunt. It’s messy, but it’s something. Sunday afternoon sees a bump up to 8ft from the ENE, with stronger energy (459) and a 7-second period, but the onshore wind at 12 mph will make it lumpy. That’s a size that could be too much for beginners, and the onshore wind will chop it up.
Come Monday the 24th, we get a 4ft swell from the east (7-second period) with moderate energy (233), but a fresh 22 mph cross-shore wind means it’ll be lumpy and tough. Tuesday the 25th drops right back down to tiny 0.3ft and clean conditions – a tease. Wednesday the 26th is flat and glassy again.
Thursday the 27th and Friday the 28th see tiny dribbles of 1ft to 2ft from the NE and ESE, but it’s cross-on wind and rippled. Saturday the 29th brings a 4ft swell from the east with a 5-second period and moderate energy (99), but onshore wind again. Sunday the 30th looks similar at 4ft from the east, 6-second period, moderate energy (132), and onshore wind.
Honestly, if you’re only looking at Paignton, there’s no standout session. The best of a bad bunch might be Sunday morning the 23rd – at least there’s some size – but the wind and short period kill the quality. For the kite crew, the stronger onshore winds on the 23rd and 24th with that 8ft to 4ft swell could be more interesting than paddle surfing.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 23°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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) | NNE 4 | NE 4 | N 3 | NE 4 | ENE 4 | — | — | WSW 3 | WSW 5 | S 16 | WSW 4 | S 17 | S 16 | S 16 | S 15 | SW 6 | WSW 3 | SW 5 | WSW 7 | WSW 10 | S 16 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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 | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | cross | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:25PM4.13m | 9:48AM3.81m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:29PM0.01m | 2:55AM-0.09m | 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 | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | | | |  | |  |  | | | |  | | | | | | |
 | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — |
 | — | 8:34 | — | — | 8:31 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 4 | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 24 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 18 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 18 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 20 | 22 | 14 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 24 | 22 | 17 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 19 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 7 | ENE 4 | W 8 | W 7 | ENE 4 | — | — | — | WSW 5 | S 16 | — | SW 5 | SW 5 | S 16 | S 15 | SW 6 | S 14 | SW 5 | WSW 7 | — | WSW 5 |
| kJ | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 10 | 5 | — | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 4 | — | 3 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | NE 4 | — | — | E 5 | — | — | — | NNW 3 | W 9 | — | — | W 7 | SW 16 | W 10 | W 10 | — | W 10 | W 10 | S 13 | W 8 |
| kJ | 2 | 4 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 10 | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 7 | — | — | — | W 9 | S 16 | — | S 17 | S 16 | — | — | S 14 | — | S 14 | — | — | S 16 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | — | 6 | 5 | — | — | 4 | — | 4 | — | — | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 4 | WSW 7 | N 3 | NE 4 | — | — | — | WSW 3 | WSW 5 | WSW 2 | WSW 4 | — | — | WSW 3 | W 3 | W 3 | WSW 3 | WNW 3 | NNW 2 | WSW 10 | NNW 2 |
| kJ | 5 | 5 | 1 | 5 | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | — | — | 3 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 1 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 279 | 468 | 150 | 150 | 496 | 438 | 280 | 513 | 193 | 271 | 808 | 137 | 280 | 472 | 298 | 159 | 515 | 56 | 29 | 29 | 29 |
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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