
Surf Forecasts:
Poldhu Cove surf forecast from 25 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 28 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period, WNW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 8s period, WNW swell with 460 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 28 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s 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 Tuesday (Jul 28) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.9m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 11s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Poldhu Cove in the next 16 days are 2.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.7m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 01) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Tue 28th Jul) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Poldhu Cove over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Poldhu Cove. I’ll be straight with you, mate—this is a rough stretch. The forecast is a long, bleak run of poor surf conditions, and for the first week and a half, there’s barely a wave worth paddling for. The first real chance of anything doesn’t show up until Tuesday morning, 28th July, and even then, it’s barely a whisper.
The Overall Pattern
We’re looking at a proper flat spell to start. From Saturday 25th July right through to Monday 27th July, the swell is either tiny, onshore-churned, or both. The wind is mostly cross or cross-on, and the wave comment is “poor surf conditions” across the board. The combined swell energy is weak, with values like 30 to 65 in the first couple of days, so there’s just no grunt in the water. The water temperature is sitting at 68°F, which is a massive 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year—that’s a real anomaly, very unusual for July.
The First Real Window (28th July – Tuesday)
The first glimmer shows up on Tuesday morning, 28th July. The swell drops to 3 ft from the WNW, with a period of 9 seconds. The wind flips to a light ESE breeze, which is cross-offshore, and the conditions are described as “clean.” That’s the best we get in this whole outlook. The combined energy is only 116 (weak), so it’s not a powerful wave, but for a complete beginner, this could be a fun little knee-to-waist-high session. After that, it goes back to junk.
The Mid-Week Lull
Tuesday afternoon through Thursday, 30th July, it’s back to small, chopped-up surf. The wind swings cross and cross-on, and the wave heights hover around 2 ft to 3 ft. The energy is consistently low, in the 50s and 100s. Nothing to write home about.
A Brief Nod on Friday 31st July
Friday morning, 31st July, offers a tiny window of clean-ish surf. The swell is 3 ft from the WNW, but the period is a short 7 seconds. The wind is a light offshore from the ENE, and the water is clean. The energy is weak (75). It’s surfable, but you’d be working hard for small, crumbly lines.
The Big Swell, But It’s a Mess
Then we get to Sunday 2nd August. The swell jumps to a massive 12 ft from the WSW, with a 10-second period. The combined energy rockets to 2273 (strong). But here’s the kicker—the wind is howling onshore from the SW at 25 mph. The wave comment is “poor surf conditions.” This is a classic case of a big swell ruined by wind. For a beach-and-reef setup like Poldhu Cove, this looks more interesting for the kite surfers than paddle surfers. It’s too big and blown out for anyone but the most experienced, and even then, it’s likely a washing machine.
The Second Week (August 3rd to 9th)
The rest of the week is a mixed bag of small to moderate swells, but the wind never plays ball. The morning of Saturday 8th August shows a 7 ft swell from the WSW with a 10-second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the N. The combined energy is 852 (moderate), and the conditions are “clean.” This is the standout of the second week. It’s a solid size, but at 7 ft, it’s getting into expert territory. The short period (10 seconds) means it’ll be a bit walled up, but it’s the best on offer for the whole 16 days. Sunday 9th August also has a 7 ft swell from the W with a clean cross-off wind, but the energy is high (862) and the period is short (8 seconds), so it’s a bit dumpy.
The Verdict
There’s no true standout that makes you want to drop everything. The best bet is the morning of Tuesday 28th July for a tiny, clean beginner wave, or the morning of Saturday 8th August for a bigger, more powerful wave for experienced surfers. The crowds at Poldhu Cove are “sometimes” present, so you might have some company, but it won’t be a circus. Overall, it’s a pretty grim outlook for the next two weeks.
– Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 16°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Sun morning, calm by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Tue afternoon, min 16°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | Monday 27 | Tuesday 28 | Wednesday 29 | Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
13 | 55 | 180 | 403 | 449 | 442 | 333 | 273 | 188 | 113 | 110 | 76 | 54 | 50 | 51 | 50 | 99 | 75 | 68 | 62 | 32 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | off | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 2:51PM3.57m | 3:18AM3.55m | 3:44PM3.73m | 4:08AM3.71m | 4:31PM3.94m | 4:51AM3.89m | 5:12PM4.16m | 5:30AM4.07m | 5:48PM4.37m | 6:05AM4.22m | 6:22PM4.53m | 6:39AM4.34m | 6:55PM4.64m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:34PM1.48m | 9:59AM1.39m | 10:31PM1.27m | 10:49AM1.16m | 11:16PM1.02m | 11:30AM0.92m | 11:55PM0.78m | 12:08PM0.69m | 00:32AM0.57m | 12:43PM0.51m | 1:07AM0.41m | 1:18PM0.40m | 1:41AM0.32m | ||||||||
5:39 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:41 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:14 | — | — | 9:13 | — | — | 9:10 | — | — | 9:09 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:06 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 19 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 20 | 21 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 10 | S 11 | S 11 | S 12 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | W 8 |
13 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 442 | 333 | 273 | 188 | 113 | 110 | 76 | 54 | 50 | 51 | 50 | 99 | 75 | 68 | 62 | 32 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | S 11 | — | — | S 16 | S 12 | S 11 | S 16 | S 11 | S 12 | S 14 | S 14 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | E 4 | — | S 13 | S 13 | W 14 | W 13 | W 12 |
5 | 3 | — | — | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 11 | S 14 | — | — | S 5 | S 13 | S 13 | S 6 | — | — | — | S 12 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 4 | — | — | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 4 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 2 | SE 3 | — | WSW 3 | W 4 | WNW 5 | — | — | NNE 3 | NNW 3 | N 4 |
12 | 55 | 180 | 403 | 449 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | 3 | 13 | 28 | — | — | 1 | 2 | 10 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 408 | 408 | 654 | 739 | 192 | 107 | 13 | 190 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 189 | 231 | 256 | 231 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 189 |
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.










