
Surf Forecasts:
Poldhu Cove surf forecast from 12 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 15 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 10s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 16 Jul, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 7s period, SW swell with 48 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 15 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 10s 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 Wednesday (Jul 15) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m and 7s. 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 0.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Jul 16) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 3.5m 8s period and expected on Monday (Jul 13) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Wed 15th Jul) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Thu 16th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Poldhu Cove over the next 16 days.
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get real about the next couple of weeks down at Poldhu Cove.
First off, the water is feeling way warmer than it should be for this time of year – about 3° warmer than usual, so it’s a notable one. Unfortunately, that’s where the good news ends for a while. Right now, and for the next week and a half, the surf is tiny. We’re talking ankle-snappers at best, with swell heights hovering around 0.7 ft to 2 ft. The combined energy is low, from 22 to 94 – just weak, slow-moving lumps. The wind is mostly cross-off from the east, which keeps the surface clean, but there’s simply no power behind it. The northeast wind is kicking up at 19 to 31 mph, so it’s a strong breeze, but it’s doing nothing for the waves.
The standout for the entire run is actually a pretty big, messy event that kicks off on the morning of Thursday, July 23rd. The swell jumps to 7 ft from the WNW with a combined energy of 660 (moderate to strong energy). That’s a solid push, but it comes with a fresh onshore breeze from the SW at 19 mph. The period is only 9 seconds, so it’s a bit raw and wind-driven. This is expert territory – anything over 8 ft is for the big dogs, and 7 ft is still a handful, especially with onshore wind making it lumpy. It’s not a clean, glassy day, but it’s the biggest size we’ll see. The Friday morning after that drops to 5 ft, still with a strong cross-shore breeze, so it’s messy.
There are no other standouts. The entire 16-day window is a long, slow grind. The first recommendation doesn’t even show up until nearly a week and a half in, and even then, it’s a poor-quality, big, blown-out mess. For a beginner, stay out of the water from the 23rd onward – that’s too big. For the rest of us, it’s a waiting game. The forecast can always change, but right now, it’s a tough stretch.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Sun morning. Warm (max 25°C on Sun afternoon, min 17°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the ENE on Sun night, calm by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Warm (max 24°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | S 21 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | WSW 12 | SSW 18 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | SW 8 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 6 | SW 6 | WSW 8 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
24 | 13 | 9 | 37 | 37 | 29 | 30 | 39 | 33 | 29 | 27 | 21 | 48 | 45 | 32 | 27 | 35 | 34 | 22 | 15 | 10 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:40PM4.37m | 4:09AM4.39m | 4:36PM4.64m | 5:03AM4.57m | 5:28PM4.87m | 5:54AM4.69m | 6:17PM5.03m | 6:43AM4.73m | 7:05PM5.07m | 7:30AM4.69m | 7:51PM5.00m | 8:16AM4.56m | 8:37PM4.81m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:33PM0.58m | 10:59AM0.48m | 11:31PM0.27m | 11:53AM0.23m | 00:23AM0.02m | 12:42PM0.05m | 1:12AM-0.13m | 1:28PM-0.03m | 1:58AM-0.15m | 2:13PM0.02m | 2:42AM-0.04m | 2:56PM0.17m | 3:25AM0.18m | ||||||||
5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | 5:30 | — | — | 5:31 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:28 | — | — | 9:27 | — | — | 9:25 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:23 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:22 | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 25 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 16 | 20 | 17 | 12 | 15 | 21 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | NNW 6 | WSW 11 | E 7 | E 6 | WSW 9 | E 6 | E 6 | SW 7 | E 6 | W 9 | W 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | SW 5 |
24 | 13 | 6 | 37 | 37 | 8 | 24 | 181 | 25 | 29 | 60 | 16 | 48 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 35 | 34 | 22 | 15 | 7 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 6 | N 6 | S 15 | NW 8 | SW 15 | WSW 12 | NNW 6 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | SW 6 | WSW 9 | SW 8 | E 7 | W 9 | — | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 6 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
7 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 29 | 8 | 39 | 33 | 10 | 27 | 21 | 22 | 13 | — | 16 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | S 21 | S 21 | SW 15 | NW 8 | SSW 6 | SSW 18 | SSW 6 | SSW 6 | SSW 16 | SW 6 | W 9 | WSW 8 | SSW 12 | SW 15 | SW 6 | S 16 | W 8 | SW 11 | SW 11 | S 12 |
10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 30 | 4 | 3 | 25 | 10 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 7 | E 7 | E 8 | E 9 | E 8 | E 7 | E 8 | E 7 | — | E 7 | — | — | WSW 3 | SW 7 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SSW 6 | — | — | — | NNW 2 |
542 | 515 | 964 | 1667 | 836 | 272 | 446 | 211 | — | 65 | — | — | 3 | 45 | 32 | 27 | 20 | — | — | — | 1 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 58 | 231 | 223 | 52 | 52 | 23 | 41 | 31 | 31 | 8 | 106 | 11 | 8 | 18 | 68 | 295 | 13 | 29 | 409 | 1282 | 412 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










