Surf Forecasts:
Putsborough surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 7s period, W swell with 239 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Putsborough this week:
The surf forecast for Putsborough over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Putsborough in the next 16 days are 1.6m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.6m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Putsborough over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Putsborough over the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, I’m scratching my head a bit here. The whole sixteen-day window is looking pretty flat and mushy. There’s no real surf to get excited about at all. Every single entry in the forecast is marked as “poor surf conditions,” and the scores are a big fat zero all the way through. It’s a tough run.
The only break the Finder flagged is Putsborough, which is a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent spot that’s fairly exposed to the swell. The optimum direction is from the WNW. The water temp is sitting at 66°F with a +4°F anomaly, so it’s much warmer than it should be for this time of year, which is a bit unusual but not a huge deal for a paddle.
Let’s run through it. The first real chance of anything is from Saturday, 15 August, but even then it’s a tiny 2ft swell from the W with a period of just 8 seconds, and the wind is onshore from the NW at 12 mph. The combined wave energy is a measly 47 – weak. It’s just not happening.
Sunday the 16th and Monday the 17th are even smaller, with 1ft and 2ft swells, but the wind is all over the place – cross-shore, cross-on, onshore. Nothing clean. The energy stays in the low double digits.
We see a slight bump on Tuesday the 18th morning: 4ft swell from the W, period of 6 seconds, but it’s cross-on from the WNW at 12 mph. The combined energy hits 142 – that’s moderate, but the quality is still poor. It’s choppy and lumpy. Same story for Wednesday and Thursday, with similar-sized swells and cross-on winds, energy in the 100-186 range, but the wind just ruins it.
From Friday the 21st onward, it drops right back down. The swell is tiny – 2ft, then 1ft, then 0.3ft for days on end. There are some clean mornings with cross-off winds from the ENE on the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th, but the swell is next to nothing, with periods up to 14 seconds. That long period (over 15 seconds? No, it’s 14 seconds – close but not quite the very long territory) on a beach break like Putsborough would just make it break straight anyway. The energy is in the teens, just pathetic.
The last few days of August show a tiny pulse of 2ft to 2ft from the W or WSW with periods of 8-9 seconds, and the wind is offshore or light on the 27th, 28th, and 29th. The energy creeps up to 75 at one point, but it’s still tiny. It’s clean, but you’d be lucky to get a rideable wave.
So, the bottom line: there are no standouts, no good options. It’s a blank run of sixteen days. For Putsborough, this kind of flat spell is more normal than you’d hope. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing on the days with stronger cross-off winds and a bit of bump, but for a surfer? Leave the board at home.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Sat night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue night, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | ||||||||||||||
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 8 | W 8 | WSW 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 5 | W 5 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 6 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
42 | 29 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 19 | 39 | 137 | 88 | 62 | 103 | 83 | 187 | 178 | 80 | 97 | 76 | 56 | 25 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:55PM8.99m | 9:15AM8.53m | 9:33PM8.63m | 9:52AM8.14m | 10:11PM8.10m | 10:29AM7.63m | 10:48PM7.45m | 11:07AM7.05m | 11:28PM6.77m | 11:50AM6.44m | 00:16AM6.13m | 12:46PM5.91m | 1:25AM5.65m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:05AM0.19m | 3:18PM0.38m | 3:40AM0.55m | 3:54PM0.78m | 4:15AM1.05m | 4:30PM1.30m | 4:51AM1.63m | 5:09PM1.89m | 5:32AM2.23m | 5:56PM2.48m | 6:24AM2.78m | 7:02PM2.97m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
8:38 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 15 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | WSW 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 5 | W 8 | W 16 | W 17 | W 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | W 9 | SW 16 | W 7 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 9 |
42 | 29 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 178 | 36 | 97 | 76 | 56 | 25 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NW 4 | NW 3 | — | — | W 7 | W 18 | — | — | — | W 17 | — | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 16 |
— | 6 | 2 | — | — | 8 | 6 | — | — | — | 6 | — | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 16 | W 16 | SW 13 |
— | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 5 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NW 3 | — | — | — | W 4 | — | W 5 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | — | W 6 | — | — | NW 5 | NW 4 |
5 | — | — | — | 4 | — | 19 | 39 | 137 | 88 | 62 | 103 | 83 | 187 | — | 80 | — | — | 7 | 7 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 237 | 237 | 256 | 401 | 237 | 310 | 276 | 366 | 310 | 351 | 48 | 93 | 276 | 352 | 44 | 254 | 9 | 3 | 142 | 3 |
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.











