Surf Forecasts:
Poldhu Cove surf forecast from 18 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) - 7ft (2.1m), 10s period, W swell with 804 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 2.1m 10s 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 0.9m 6s period and expected on Friday (Aug 21) at 10PM.
| 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) | 7ft (2.1m) 10s |
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 Poldhu Cove has in store for us over the next couple of weeks. I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough read.
Right off the bat, there’s no surf worth chasing until the end of the coming week. We’re looking at a solid gap of a few days with nothing on offer, so don’t bother waxing up just yet.
The first real chance of anything comes on Friday the 21st of August. The morning shows a small 4ft swell from the west, with an 8-second period and moderate wave energy (222). The wind is offshore from the NE at 16 mph, so the surface should be clean. But the swell is weak and inconsistent, and the conditions are described as very ordinary. It’s barely worth a paddle, but if you’re desperate, you could find a few crumbly ones.
The weekend drops off into tiny waves. Saturday the 22nd has 2ft swell in the morning, and Sunday the 23rd sees a glassy 1.0ft in the afternoon, but zero push. Monday the 24th is flat with a glassy morning, but you’d be surfing a lake.
We run into another blank stretch through the middle of the week. The swell tries to pick up again on Tuesday the 25th afternoon with 4ft from the west, but the fresh onshore wind from the south at 19 mph makes it lumpy and poor. Not worth it.
The only real standout in this entire 16-day window appears on Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning brings a solid 10ft swell from the west-southwest, with an 8-second period and very strong combined wave energy (1136). The wind is cross-offshore from the north-northwest at 22 mph, which keeps it clean. That is serious size – definitely for experienced surfers only at that height. The afternoon drops to 7ft, still clean but also strong energy (1064). The swell direction is slightly west of the optimum southwest, but the power is there. Just remember, this is well over a week away, so the details might shift.
The water temperature is 66°, which feels a touch warmer than normal – about 3° above the long-term average for this time of year, so you can leave the thick suit at home.
The rest of the forecast is a mess of poor conditions, onshore winds, and lumpy waves, especially from the 27th onward, where strong breezes and heavy rain ruin any chance of a decent session. There’s one more bump on the 29th with 7ft swell, but cross-onshore wind and poor conditions make it a washout.
Bottom line: the first week is mostly a write-off. The 1st of September is your best bet, but it’s a long-range call and only for the brave. For now, keep your board in the bag.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Wed afternoon, light winds from the N by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | W 7 | W 7 | W 9 | WNW 10 | W 8 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 6 | W 9 | SSW 14 | W 9 | W 8 | SSW 14 | WSW 9 | SSW 13 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
161 | 148 | 146 | 246 | 322 | 447 | 792 | 804 | 464 | 205 | 133 | 44 | 35 | 23 | 24 | 19 | 13 | 12 | 19 | 18 | 17 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 2:28PM3.38m | 3:01AM3.38m | 3:28PM3.62m | 3:53AM3.62m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 8:12AM1.74m | 9:05PM1.64m | 9:33AM1.53m | 10:08PM1.35m | ||||||||
6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | |
— | 8:34 | — | — | 8:31 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 17 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 17 | SW 17 | SSW 17 | W 9 | SSW 16 | W 9 | SSW 14 | W 10 | W 10 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 8 | E 5 | E 6 | E 5 | E 7 | E 5 | W 9 | WSW 9 | WNW 4 |
27 | 11 | 29 | 246 | 24 | 64 | 21 | 804 | 464 | 205 | 133 | 44 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 9 | 21 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 3 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSW 16 | — | SSW 15 | — | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | WNW 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | W 9 | W 9 | NW 5 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | W 8 |
— | — | — | 24 | — | 22 | — | 20 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 26 | 13 | 23 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 19 | 18 | 12 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 5 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | SSW 15 | NNW 6 | W 9 | SSW 14 | WNW 6 | W 8 | WNW 5 | W 8 | SSW 13 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 10 | 24 | 21 | 14 | 24 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 17 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | W 7 | W 7 | — | WNW 10 | W 8 | W 9 | — | — | — | NNW 6 | NNW 4 | NNW 6 | E 5 | N 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 3 | — | — | WNW 5 | — |
161 | 148 | 146 | — | 322 | 447 | 792 | — | — | — | 56 | 14 | 21 | 47 | 5 | 7 | 5 | — | — | 4 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 315 | 189 | 183 | 192 | 189 | 263 | 186 | 177 | 0 | 0 | 209 | 186 | 0 | 13 | 201 | 11 | 31 | 106 | 528 | 527 | 523 |
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.











