Surf Forecasts:
Poldhu Cove surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 11s period, W swell with 2,053 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 13 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s period with WSW 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 (Aug 13) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 11s 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 3.0m 11s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 15) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Poldhu Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the surf ahead for the next couple of weeks. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so let’s break it down.
Right off the bat, things are pretty flat and messy. We’ve got a run of small, weak surf that’s mostly blown out by onshore or cross-shore breezes. The energy in the water is mostly weak, with combined swell energy readings in the low hundreds at best, and often dipping below 100. It’s looking like a bit of a write-off for the next several days.
The standout window is shaping up for the middle of next week. Mark your calendars for Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th. The 19th sees a solid pulse of west swell, but it’s a bit raw and on the big side, around 8ft to 10ft. This is expert territory for sure, and with a shorter period, it might not be the cleanest. The morning of Thursday, August 20th is where it’s at. We’ve got a cleaner 8ft west-northwest swell with a better period, and light cross-offshore winds. The combined energy is strong, reading 1150, and it’s looking like the best of the bunch. Poldhu Cove (Cornwall) is the spot, but with that size, it’s not a day for the faint of heart.
After that, the surf drops right back down and the winds turn onshore again. The end of the month looks like a return to small, choppy conditions with fresh to strong winds, which will make things pretty ugly. There might be a bump in size around the 27th and 28th, but the wind is going to be howling onshore, so it’ll be a mess. That kind of setup looks more interesting for the kiteboarders than us paddle surfers, to be honest.
Water temps are around average for this time of year, so that’s not a factor.
So, the long and short of it is, the one to get excited about is the morning of Thursday, August 20th. Get on it if you can handle the size. The rest of the window is mostly about waiting for the next push.
Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Wed night, fresh winds from the N by Sat afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | |||||||||||||||
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 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 9 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 6 | W 8 | W 11 | W 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 343 | 290 | 220 | 160 | 188 | 244 | 120 | 100 | 55 | 27 | 26 | 15 | 15 | 51 | 187 | 130 | 92 | 160 | 839 | 1873 | 1881 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:44AM4.68m | 6:04PM5.07m | 6:27AM4.80m | 6:46PM5.14m | 7:08AM4.81m | 7:27PM5.07m | 7:48AM4.72m | 8:06PM4.88m | 8:26AM4.54m | 8:45PM4.58m | 9:06AM4.28m | 9:25PM4.22m | 9:47AM3.98m | 10:10PM3.84m | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:27PM0.00m | 00:54AM-0.19m | 1:09PM-0.10m | 1:35AM-0.21m | 1:49PM-0.07m | 2:14AM-0.09m | 2:28PM0.09m | 2:52AM0.15m | 3:06PM0.34m | 3:28AM0.47m | 3:44PM0.66m | 4:05AM0.83m | 4:23PM1.01m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — |
 | — | 8:44 | — | — | 8:42 | — | — | 8:39 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:36 | — | — | 8:34 | — | — | 8:31 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 24 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 20 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 22 | 22 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 12 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | S 13 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | S 16 | W 7 | W 7 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | W 11 |
| kJ | 343 | 290 | 220 | 160 | 188 | 3 | 120 | 100 | 55 | 27 | 26 | 15 | 8 | 51 | 5 | 130 | 92 | 29 | 24 | 24 | 1881 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | E 4 | E 4 | S 13 | S 13 | S 13 | S 12 | — | S 12 | WSW 8 | E 5 | — | W 9 | S 18 | E 5 | SW 17 | SW 17 | — | — | — | SSW 15 |
| kJ | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | — | 3 | 6 | 5 | — | 15 | 6 | 1 | 11 | 11 | — | — | — | 22 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 11 | S 11 | S 13 | S 10 | S 13 | — | S 12 | S 20 | — | S 18 | S 18 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | — | 3 | 7 | — | 7 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 3 | — | — | W 4 | WNW 8 | N 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | N 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 3 | — | W 4 | W 7 | — | — | W 6 | W 8 | W 11 | — |
| kJ | — | 1 | — | — | 7 | 244 | 20 | 28 | 31 | 13 | 5 | 2 | — | 10 | 187 | — | — | 160 | 839 | 1873 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 191 | 13 | 13 | 60 | 13 | 293 | 208 | 194 | 256 | 417 | 416 | 536 | 201 | 189 | 138 | 189 | 191 | 13 | 107 | 0 |
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.
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