Surf Forecasts:
Putsborough surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, W swell with 303 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Putsborough this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Putsborough in the next 16 days are 1.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Putsborough over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Putsborough over the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, it’s a pretty flat and messy run for a good while. There’s nothing worth paddling out for in the first week. The water is unusually warm for the time of year—running about 3° warmer than average—but that’s about the only highlight for a while. You’re looking at small, weak, short-period swell, mostly coming from the west, with a lot of onshore or cross-onshore wind messing it up. The wave energy barely gets going, often below 100 (weak) and even when it bumps up to 178 or 315, the wind is just too strong or from the wrong direction to make it any good.
There’s a long gap of poor conditions right through to the end of August. Tuesday the 18th and Wednesday the 19th are write-offs. Thursday the 20th sees a bit more size, 5ft from the west, with a 7-second period, and the energy jumps to 279, but the wind is straight onshore at 19 mph. Not worth it. Friday through to the end of the month stays small, mostly under 3ft, with only occasional clean windows on the mornings of the 22nd and 23rd, but the swell is tiny—1ft—so it’s a complete flat spell.
It isn’t until Tuesday the 1st of September that something finally shows up. We get a solid 8ft west-southwest swell, with a period of 8 seconds, and the energy cranks up to 725—that’s strong. The catch? The wind is howling onshore from the north-northwest at 25 mph. The surf will be big and powerful but blown out and messy. Wednesday the 2nd is still big at 6ft, but again cross-shore or cross-onshore wind keeps it lumpy.
So, for the whole 16-day run, there isn’t a single standout session. If you’re a beginner, that 8ft day on the 1st is way too big. For experts, it might offer some raw power, but the wind is going to make it a battle. The cleanest conditions happen on those tiny days around the 22nd to 25th, but there’s just no swell behind them. Honestly, for paddle surfing, this stretch is a bust. With the strong winds and the beach setup, this looks more interesting for kite surfing than anything else.
This is Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 8mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 17°C on Sat afternoon, min 14°C on Fri morning). 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 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | W 7 | W 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WSW 8 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | NW 4 | W 8 | W 9 | W 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 173 | 95 | 95 | 46 | 53 | 271 | 267 | 299 | 160 | 66 | 48 | 24 | 16 | 16 | 25 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 12 | 14 | 12 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 10:29AM7.63m | 10:48PM7.45m | 11:07AM7.05m | 11:28PM6.77m | 11:50AM6.44m | 00:16AM6.13m | 12:46PM5.91m | 1:25AM5.65m | 2:09PM5.60m | 3:01AM5.52m | 3:45PM5.74m | 4:23AM5.83m | 4:52PM6.21m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:30PM1.30m | 4:51AM1.63m | 5:09PM1.89m | 5:32AM2.23m | 5:56PM2.48m | 6:24AM2.78m | 7:02PM2.97m | 7:42AM3.16m | 8:37PM3.17m | 9:21AM3.15m | 10:08PM2.95m | 10:37AM2.77m | 11:10PM2.47m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | | |  | |  | | | | | |  | | | | | |  | |
 | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — |
mm | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 |
Feels °C | 17 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 17 | SW 17 | W 6 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WSW 8 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | WSW 4 |
| kJ | 173 | 6 | 12 | 46 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 160 | 66 | 48 | 24 | 16 | 16 | 25 | 14 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 14 | 6 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 17 | — | W 17 | W 9 | — | W 9 | W 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | NNW 4 | NW 4 | SW 16 | NW 6 | WNW 4 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | — | W 4 | W 8 |
| kJ | 5 | — | 6 | 15 | — | 6 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | — | 1 | 12 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 16 | — | SW 16 | — | — | — | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | NW 6 | SW 15 | SW 15 | — | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 10 | — | 10 | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 8 | — | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 6 | W 6 | — | W 5 | W 7 | W 7 | W 9 | NNW 4 | — | — | NW 4 | E 3 | E 3 | N 3 | NNW 4 | NW 3 | NW 4 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 95 | 95 | — | 53 | 271 | 267 | 299 | 10 | — | — | 14 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 187 | 276 | 44 | 218 | 276 | 127 | 67 | 67 | 3 | 3 | 237 | 49 | 3 | 106 | 310 | 39 | 157 | 39 | 419 | 461 | 407 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Devon | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Putsborough Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Putsborough provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Putsborough can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Putsborough 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 (Putsborough) 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 Putsborough 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.
Puttsborough is 11 km (7 miles) from Appledore. If you plan a holiday in North Devon, look for hotels and other accommodation in Appledore. Appledore has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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