
Surf Forecasts:
Poldhu Cove surf forecast from 10 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 17 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 9s period, WSW swell with 940 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 17 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Poldhu Cove this week:
The surf forecast for Poldhu Cove over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 17) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Poldhu Cove in the next 16 days are 2.4m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Thu 17th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 8ft (2.4m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Poldhu Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab your board and let's get down to it. This is Poldhu Cove, and I've been staring at the charts all week. The short story is, we've got a bit of a rough patch ahead before things might finally turn on.
For the next week and a half, it's a bit of a grind. We'll see waves, but they're going to be a mess. The wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the surf quality is just plain poor. Thursday and Friday are a wash. We get some size Friday afternoon with a 7ft W swell, but it's onshore junk. The energy is moderate (493) but it won't be any fun. The weekend into next week is more of the same – lumpy, choppy, and just not worth your time. The swell sticks around at 3ft to 6ft, but the wind keeps messing it up. There's a brief moment Wednesday morning (the 16th) where a N cross-offshore wind cleans things up with a 7ft W swell and the energy gets strong (1075). It's clean, but it's still only rated as marginal.
Then we hit a proper lull. From Thursday the 17th all the way through to Wednesday the 23rd, it's poor surf, a lot of onshore wind, and the swell just bottoms out to under 3ft. It's a proper blank stretch of about a week where you're better off doing something else.
But hold on. Hang tight, because the last few days of the forecast period look like they could be something else entirely. On Thursday the 24th, everything lines up. The wind goes glassy in the afternoon, and the swell comes up to a solid 12ft from the west with a long period. The energy is very strong (2335). The only problem is that's a whole lot of water for Poldhu. The forecast literally says it's too big for the break. That one’s for the experts only, and even then, it might be a washing machine.
The following morning, Friday the 25th, we get a clean cross-offshore breeze from the east at 30 km/h. The swell eases a touch to 10ft but the period jumps to a very long 14 seconds. The energy is massive (5521). This is the standout of the whole two weeks. It's a long-period groundswell, so Poldhu, being the fairly exposed cove it is, should handle it well. It'll be big, powerful, and definitely not for beginners—way over the 8ft mark, so experts only. It's a promising one for the start of next week, but it's far out so we'll have to see how it shapes up.
The first spot we're talking about here is Poldhu Cove. Water temp is a touch warmer than normal at 64°F, about average for the time of year. It's inconsistent here, so when it does fire, you want to make the most of it.
So, the call is: don't bother with this coming week. Wait it out. The real potential is Thursday the 24th into Friday the 25th, with Friday morning bringing the best, cleanest, biggest swell of the whole stretch. It's a long way off, but it's got my heart racing.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Thu morning, light winds from the W by Fri night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun night, min 15°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Sun night, fresh winds from the NW by Tue morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 5 | W 8 | WSW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 8 | W 10 | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 | WNW 11 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
44 | 471 | 825 | 380 | 263 | 157 | 239 | 417 | 795 | 567 | 371 | 251 | 160 | 125 | 112 | 426 | 459 | 587 | 878 | 831 | 432 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross |
High Tide | 5:04PM4.86m | 5:27AM4.71m | 5:44PM5.04m | 6:05AM4.85m | 6:22PM5.09m | 6:41AM4.89m | 6:58PM5.01m | 7:16AM4.81m | 7:33PM4.82m | 7:51AM4.64m | 8:08PM4.53m | 8:25AM4.38m | 8:44PM4.18m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 11:25AM0.23m | 11:51PM-0.02m | 12:07PM0.01m | 00:31AM-0.16m | 12:46PM-0.08m | 1:08AM-0.15m | 1:23PM-0.04m | 1:43AM-0.01m | 1:58PM0.11m | 2:17AM0.23m | 2:33PM0.36m | 2:50AM0.54m | 3:07PM0.67m | 3:24AM0.88m | |||||||
6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | |
— | 7:45 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:32 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | W 11 | WSW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 15 | S 15 | S 14 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 8 | S 11 | S 11 | W 8 | W 10 | WNW 11 | W 10 |
22 | 22 | 825 | 380 | 263 | 157 | 17 | 4 | 4 | 567 | 371 | 251 | 160 | 125 | 112 | 2 | 2 | 587 | 878 | 831 | 432 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 8 | — | — | — | S 16 | — | S 15 | W 14 | — | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 13 | S 12 | S 12 | W 12 | S 11 | S 11 | S 5 | WNW 12 | S 13 | S 13 |
19 | — | — | — | 5 | — | 4 | 16 | — | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 195 | 4 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 12 | — | — | — | — | — | S 15 | S 15 | — | — | — | — | SW 12 | W 13 | S 12 | — | — | S 11 | S 11 | — | — |
11 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 5 | W 8 | — | — | — | — | W 8 | W 9 | W 11 | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 3 | W 10 | W 8 | — | — | — | NNE 3 |
44 | 471 | — | — | — | — | 239 | 417 | 795 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 426 | 459 | — | — | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 168 | 236 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 22 | 23 | 189 | 68 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 107 | 89 | 199 | 13 | 13 | |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Poldhu Cove Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Poldhu Cove provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Poldhu Cove can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Poldhu Cove 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 (Poldhu Cove) 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 Poldhu Cove 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.
Poldhu Cove is 12 km (7 miles) from The Lizard. If you plan a holiday in South Cornwall, look for hotels and other accommodation in The Lizard. The Lizard has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










