Poldhu Cove Surf Break

Lat Long: 50.03° N 5.27° W

Poldhu Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 am 19 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Poldhu Cove sea temperature is
18.9° C
1.8° 

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


Poldhu Cove surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 9s period, WNW swell with 979 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 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 Friday (Aug 21) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 14s. 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 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 1PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 1AM (Fri 21st Aug)5ft (1.6m) 10s
Best Surf 1AM (Fri 21st Aug)5ft (1.6m) 10s
Most Powerful 4PM (Thu 20th Aug)8ft (2.4m) 9s

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 what's on the cards for the coming weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it's a tough stretch ahead for Poldhu Cove. The next few days are looking pretty grim, with a lot of onshore and cross-shore wind messing things up. The water is sitting at about 66°, which is a touch warmer than we usually see this time of year, so that's a small comfort if you're in a wetsuit.

We kick off on Wednesday the 19th with a small 4ft swell from the WNW, but a 15 mph cross-shore wind from the NW is going to put a real chop on it. The energy is weak (328), and it's just not going to be any fun. This messy pattern sticks around through Thursday, with a bigger 8ft swell on the 20th, but the wind is still fresh and cross-shore, making it lumpy. The wave energy is building (942) but the quality is just not there.

Friday the 21st is a bit of a tease. The swell drops to 4ft from the west, but we get a clean N cross-off breeze. It's clean, but the swell is tiny and weak (232). The same goes for Saturday the 22nd – the morning is tiny, but by the afternoon, the wind goes glassy and the swell drops to 1ft. It's a beautiful, flat pond. Not a wave to be had.

From Sunday the 23rd right through to the end of the month, we're in a proper flat spell. Swell heights are below 3ft, the wind is mostly offshore but the energy is pitiful, with readings like 36 and 33. It's a long, dry gap of about 5 days with nothing worth paddling out for.

Now, we do get a little pulse around the 25th and 26th of August, with a 7ft swell showing up on Wednesday the 26th, but the wind swings back to the cross-shore again, making it lumpy. It's frustrating.

The real standout, if you can call it that, is on Monday the 31st of August. A solid 10ft swell from the west is pushing in with a massive 1796 energy reading. That's a lot of power. But the wind is a fresh cross-shore from the NW, and the forecast is only marginal. This is big, powerful, and messy. It's really only for the experts who don't mind a battle. The period is 10 seconds, so it's a decent groundswell, but the wind is the enemy.

After that, September starts with a few more days of cross-onshore wind and dropping swell. It's a pretty bleak outlook overall. To be honest, the setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer for most of this period.

Stay patient, keep an eye on the charts, and hopefully the next forecast will have better news. Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 15°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat afternoon, fresh winds from the ENE by Mon afternoon).

Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
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
1
2
0
0
1
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)
1.3
WNW
9
1.6
W
10
2.2
W
8
2.4
W
9
2.4
WNW
9
1.6
W
10
1.2
W
9
0.9
WNW
8
0.7
WNW
8
0.5
W
8
0.4
WSW
9
0.4
W
9
0.2
SSW
14
0.3
SSW
14
0.2
SSW
14
0.2
SSW
14
0.3
W
9
0.2
SSW
13
0.5
W
10
0.8
W
10
1.3
W
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
302
479
655
921
979
470
210
118
56
34
26
24
19
40
20
19
18
17
52
125
264
Wind (km/h)
25
NW
35
W
30
WNW
30
WNW
30
NW
15
NNE
25
N
25
NNW
15
N
25
N
5
NNE
15
NE
15
ENE
10
ENE
20
NE
35
ENE
40
ENE
20
NE
15
NNW
20
NW
20
WNW
Wind State
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross
cross
High Tide
10:10PM3.84m
10:36AM3.66m
11:06PM3.49m
11:42AM3.40m
00:25AM3.26m
1:09PM3.29m
1:52AM3.23m
2:28PM3.38m
3:01AM3.38m
3:28PM3.62m
3:53AM3.62m
4:14PM3.91m
Low Tide
4:23PM1.01m
4:44AM1.18m
5:07PM1.34m
5:31AM1.50m
6:05PM1.62m
6:38AM1.72m
7:29PM1.75m
8:12AM1.74m
9:05PM1.64m
9:33AM1.53m
10:08PM1.35m
10:25AM1.22m
10:53PM1.02m
clear
clear
rain showers
part cloud
clear
rain showers
rain showers
rain showers
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
light rain
light rain
mod rain
light rain
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:15
6:16
6:18
6:20
6:20
6:22
6:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:31
8:30
8:28
8:27
8:23
8:22
8:20
 mm
1
1
3
1
1
3
6
3
2
Temp °C
18
18
17
18
18
16
16
15
14
18
18
17
18
19
18
17
17
17
15
16
16
Feels °C
14
12
12
13
13
13
12
9
10
15
15
14
14
17
14
11
10
12
12
13
13
  • 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 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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