Surf Forecasts:
Poldhu Cove surf forecast from 16 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s period, WNW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 9s period, WNW swell with 917 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 7s period with WNW 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. 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 (Aug 20) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 7s period and expected on Sunday (Aug 23) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Poldhu Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right folks, Rusty here. I’ve had a good look at the charts for our patch, and I’ll be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch. The next 16 days are looking pretty grim for a proper paddle. We’ve got a long, long dry spell ahead, broken only by a couple of very iffy days right at the very end.
Starting from today, 16th August, right through to the morning of the 28th of August, it’s a real write-off. We’ve got a solid 12 days of poor surf conditions. Winds are almost constantly cross, cross-on, or just too strong, and the swell is either tiny or blown to bits. You’d be flogging a dead horse trying to get a wave in that lot. On the 19th and 20th, the swell does pick up a bit, with the combined energy hitting 264 and then a massive 1653 on the 20th morning – that's strong wave energy for sure – but the wind is a messy onshore/cross-shore and the forecast is clear: it’s all just poor surf conditions. For a beach break like Poldhu Cove, that much wind and swell would be a choppy mess; honestly, it looks more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle guys.
The best of a bad bunch, and I use that term very loosely, falls on the 28th of August. Early that Friday morning, a pulse of swell arrives at Poldhu Cove. We’re looking at a 7ft swell from the WSW with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is a solid 595, so there’s some moderate power there. The wind is light and from the south at just 3 mph, making it a cross-on breeze but light enough to keep things fairly clean. The catch? The surf report calls it "marginal" at best. It’s the only day with a score higher than zero, so if you’re desperate, that’s your window. It's not a standout in any other way. After that, it gets messy again with a fresher cross-shore wind and poor conditions rolling back in.
So, a frustrating outlook, lads. Hang your boards up for a fortnight, then maybe, just maybe, get a dawny in on the 28th of August. It’s not much, but it’s all we’ve got.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 17°C on Sun night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Wed afternoon, light winds from the N by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 | |
Swell Height Map |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WSW 10 | W 10 | SSW 15 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 27 | 25 | 15 | 45 | 130 | 77 | 91 | 85 | 123 | 240 | 358 | 762 | 917 | 612 | 333 | 197 | 100 | 42 | 36 | 71 | 42 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:06PM4.88m | 8:26AM4.54m | 8:45PM4.58m | 9:06AM4.28m | 9:25PM4.22m | 9:47AM3.98m | 10:10PM3.84m | 10:36AM3.66m | 11:06PM3.49m | 11:42AM3.40m | 00:25AM3.26m | 1:09PM3.29m | 1:52AM3.23m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:28PM0.09m | 2:52AM0.15m | 3:06PM0.34m | 3:28AM0.47m | 3:44PM0.66m | 4:05AM0.83m | 4:23PM1.01m | 4:44AM1.18m | 5:07PM1.34m | 5:31AM1.50m | 6:05PM1.62m | 6:38AM1.72m | 7:29PM1.75m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | |  | | | | |  | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — |
 | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:36 | — | — | 8:34 | — | — | 8:31 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:27 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 9 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 9 | S 18 | S 16 | W 8 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | W 9 | SSW 14 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WNW 7 | WSW 10 | W 10 | WSW 9 |
| kJ | 27 | 25 | 15 | 41 | 6 | 5 | 20 | 11 | 29 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 715 | 20 | 333 | 197 | 100 | 42 | 36 | 71 | 28 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 8 | S 18 | S 18 | S 18 | — | S 19 | SSW 17 | SW 17 | — | — | — | — | SSW 14 | — | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 8 | W 8 | NNW 6 | NNW 6 |
| kJ | 12 | 7 | 6 | 6 | — | 7 | 27 | 11 | — | — | — | — | 21 | — | 19 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 21 | 6 | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 12 | — | W 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 16 | SW 16 | WSW 11 | WNW 7 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 |
| kJ | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 10 | 24 | 10 | 21 | 42 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 3 | NW 3 | WNW 4 | WNW 6 | WNW 8 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | — | NNW 6 | NNW 6 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 4 | 2 | 5 | 45 | 130 | 77 | 91 | 85 | 123 | 240 | 358 | 762 | 917 | 612 | — | 3 | 17 | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 236 | 306 | 272 | 192 | 189 | 256 | 274 | 1127 | 260 | 583 | 189 | 633 | 186 | 192 | 13 | 192 | 191 | 0 | 283 | 244 | 254 |
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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