Surf Forecasts:
Poldhu Cove surf forecast from 20 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 2.2m 7s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (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 proper look at what’s on the cards for Poldhu Cove over the next couple of weeks.
To be brutally honest, the outlook is a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor surf conditions, with only a handful of moments that might get a local out of bed. The first week is pretty much a write-off, with a few days of small, weak swell and messy winds. The real standouts, if you can call them that, are few and far between.
Thursday 20th August kicks off with a solid 7ft swell from the west, but a fresh cross-shore wind at 19 mph is on it, making it lumpy and uninviting. The wave energy is strong (813), but the quality is poor. That afternoon, the swell pushes to 8ft from the WNW, with even more energy (1762), but the wind stays fresh and cross-shore, so it’s a messy, blown-out affair. Not worth suiting up for.
Friday 21st sees the swell drop to 4ft in the morning and 3ft in the afternoon, with a light rain and cross-offshore winds. The energy is low (237 and 164), and with a short period of 8-9 seconds, the waves will be weak and gutless. The conditions are clean, but there’s simply not enough swell to ride.
Saturday 22nd is the one bright spot early on. The morning offers a gentle offshore breeze from the ENE at 9 mph, with a small 2ft west swell. The wave energy is very weak (73), but that offshore wind will make it glassy and clean. It’s a tiny wave, best for a longboard, but you’ll pretty much have the place to yourself. The afternoon turns cross-offshore and drops to 1ft.
From Sunday 23rd all the way through to Tuesday 25th, the swell is tiny – 0.7ft to 2ft – with moderate to strong cross-offshore winds. The energy is weak (35-103), and the period is either short or long, but with no height, it’s a non-starter. There’s a big gap of poor conditions here.
Wednesday 26th brings a new pulse. A 7ft SW swell in the morning with fresh cross-onshore winds at 19 mph, and a moderate 556 energy. It’s lumpy and cross-onshore though, so the quality is poor. The afternoon drops to 5ft, but still cross-onshore and choppy.
Thursday 27th has a 4ft west swell, with gentle cross-onshore winds and a 10-second period. The energy is moderate (430), but the wind is onshore, and the crowds are listed as “sometimes” here. Still, the conditions are just ordinary.
Friday 28th is a write-off with a near gale and heavy rain, 7ft swell and blown-out conditions.
Saturday 29th is the other standout. An 8ft WNW swell rolls in for the morning, with a fresh cross-shore wind at 19 mph. The energy is very strong (1528), and the period is a short 8 seconds. This is a big, powerful, but lumpy wave. It’s going to be a handful with that cross-shore wind, and at 8ft, it’s only for experienced surfers. The afternoon drops to 6ft.
Sunday 30th and Monday 31st see more onshore winds and solid swell (7ft to 12ft), but the wind is cross-onshore to onshore, making it a blown-out mess. The 12ft swell on Monday morning is very powerful (2834), but with a strong onshore wind, it’s a no-go for paddle surfing – this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing.
Tuesday 1st September offers a 6ft west swell with a light cross-shore breeze from the WNW at 6 mph. The energy is moderate (477), and the period is 9 seconds. This is the best chance for a clean, surfable wave. The light cross-shore wind will keep the surface fairly clean, and the swell is a solid size. It’s the one to target.
The rest of the window into Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th is small or windy again.
So, the pick of the fortnight is Saturday 22nd August if you want a longboard in clean, tiny waves, or Tuesday 1st September for a proper, clean 6ft wave with light winds. The 8ft on Saturday 29th is for experts only, and it’ll be lumpy. The long range stuff is promising but we’ll have to see how it holds.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed night, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Wed night, light winds from the NNE by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Tue afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Sat night, strong winds from the E by Mon afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | NW 8 | W 9 | WSW 9 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 9 | SSW 13 | WNW 10 | SSW 9 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SSW 8 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
792 | 979 | 470 | 215 | 137 | 50 | 52 | 26 | 42 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 54 | 196 | 553 | 257 | 416 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 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 | 4:34AM3.89m | 4:52PM4.21m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 11:06AM0.90m | 11:30PM0.70m | |||||||
6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | |
— | 8:30 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:17 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 2 | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | W 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | NW 8 | W 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | SSW 14 | WSW 10 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WNW 10 | E 6 | W 9 | W 13 | SSW 8 | W 10 |
21 | 763 | 470 | 215 | 137 | 50 | 52 | 26 | 26 | 38 | 19 | 22 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 60 | 3 | 257 | 416 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 9 | NNW 5 | WNW 7 | SSW 15 | W 9 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SSW 9 | S 10 | E 5 | W 8 | SSW 7 |
— | 20 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 38 | 5 | 15 | 42 | 13 | 38 | 39 | 18 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 54 | 30 | 1 | 142 | 89 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 16 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | NNW 6 | NNW 5 | NW 6 | W 6 | — | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 11 | SSW 11 | W 10 | E 5 | E 5 | W 12 | SW 12 |
— | — | — | 5 | 10 | 24 | 21 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 7 | 6 | 12 | 11 | 49 | 5 | 1 | 44 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | WNW 9 | — | NNE 3 | NNW 4 | — | — | E 3 | E 4 | E 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | — | SW 8 | SW 8 | WSW 7 | — |
792 | 979 | — | 3 | 16 | — | — | 2 | 6 | 13 | 41 | 19 | 208 | 467 | 290 | 110 | — | 196 | 553 | 53 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 530 | 189 | 0 | 89 | 212 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 24 | 11 | 8 | 336 | 202 | 165 | 248 | 32 | 23 | 189 | 22 | 1 |
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.











