Surf Forecasts:
Putsborough surf forecast from 26 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 30 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, WSW swell with 1,413 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Putsborough this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Putsborough in the next 16 days are 3.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 30) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Putsborough over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about Putsborough for the next couple of weeks.
To be straight with you, this isn’t a classic run for Putsborough. The whole 16-day window is a tough one. There's a long, quiet gap right at the start. You’re not going to want to paddle out until a few days in. From Tuesday the 25th right through to Friday morning the 28th, the swell is tiny – we’re talking 1ft to 1ft – and while the wind is sometimes offshore, there’s just no energy to work with. The water is sitting at a very unusual 67° (about 5° warmer than normal for this time of year), which feels odd for August.
The first real pulse of size comes on Saturday the 29th. Swell jumps to 5ft Saturday morning and builds to 8ft by the afternoon, coming from the WSW and SW. That’s proper height, but the period is a weak 6-7 seconds – short-period windswell. The wind is a strong cross-shore breeze at 25 mph, making it messy. The combined energy on Saturday afternoon hits 509 (moderate-strong), but with that wind, it’s going to be a chop-fest. Not a day for beginners; over 5ft and messy.
Sunday the 30th sees the swell drop back to 5ft in the morning and 4ft in the afternoon, still from the WSW, with period stretching to 10 seconds. The wind turns cross-offshore, which cleans it up. The energy is 383 in the morning, which is decent (moderate-strong). This Sunday morning window is the best on offer so far – clean-ish, with a bit of push. But there are storm risks around.
We then hit another quiet spell from Monday the 31st through to Tuesday the 1st of September, where swell drops under 3ft and wind is either onshore or strong cross-shore. Not worth it.
Wednesday the 2nd of September brings a new pulse: 4ft swell from the W with a 7-second period (weak), but the wind is light cross-onshore, so it’s choppy. Energy is 169-274 (moderate). Still not great.
From Thursday the 3rd through Friday the 4th, the swell builds again, hitting 7ft on Thursday afternoon from the WSW with an 8-second period. The energy gets up to 534 (strong) and then 394 on Friday. But the wind is a fresh cross-shore, creating lumpy cross-chop. This is turning into more of a kite-surfing setup than a clean paddle session.
The standout window, if you’re brave, is Monday the 7th of September morning. The swell is 6ft from the WSW at 9 seconds, with a cross-offshore wind. The combined energy is 586 (strong), and the conditions are described as clean. That’s the only real pocket of quality in the whole run. But be warned: by the afternoon that day, the wind cranks up to a near gale at 31 mph and the swell hits 12ft with an energy of 1876 (very strong). That is expert-only territory, and with the wind, it will be a washing machine.
After that, the last few days of the forecast (8th-9th September) are blown out with strong onshore and cross-shore winds, swell around 7-7ft, and energy from 647 to 1208. All poor.
The pick: Sunday morning, the 30th of August, is the most realistic call for a clean-ish wave, but don’t expect perfection. If you’re an expert and can handle big, windy, powerful surf, Monday the 7th of September morning might offer a raw, challenging session. The crowds at Putsborough (North Devon) can be often, so expect company even on these marginal days.
That’s the story. Not a vintage spell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Thu morning. Warm (max 23°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ESE on Tue night, fresh winds from the SW by Fri afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 14mm), heaviest on Sun morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 15°C on Sun night). Mainly near gales. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | |||||||||||||||
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 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | SW 7 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | W 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
24 | 21 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 56 | 116 | 110 | 38 | 220 | 691 | 1413 | 561 | 307 | 240 | 488 | 280 | 419 | 419 | 350 | 210 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 5:59AM6.91m | 6:17PM7.40m | 6:35AM7.45m | 6:51PM7.94m | 7:08AM7.92m | 7:24PM8.36m | 7:41AM8.27m | 7:57PM8.65m | 8:14AM8.48m | 8:30PM8.75m | 8:48AM8.52m | 9:05PM8.67m | 9:23AM8.38m | 9:42PM8.39m | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:08PM1.70m | 00:30AM1.39m | 12:42PM1.20m | 1:03AM0.93m | 1:14PM0.79m | 1:33AM0.57m | 1:44PM0.50m | 2:04AM0.35m | 2:15PM0.35m | 2:34AM0.29m | 2:47PM0.35m | 3:06AM0.40m | 3:20PM0.52m | 3:41AM0.68m | |||||||
6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
— | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:12 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:02 | — | |
mm | — | — | 3 | 8 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 |
Feels °C | 20 | 22 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | WSW 8 | W 11 | — | — | W 5 | — | — | — | W 10 | W 9 | WSW 8 | — | — | W 8 | — | W 8 | W 8 |
24 | 21 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 3 | — | — | 13 | — | — | — | 561 | 212 | 240 | — | — | 323 | — | 350 | 210 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 8 | — | W 12 | NE 3 | — | W 7 | — | — | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 18 | W 16 |
2 | — | 3 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 13 | SW 7 | S 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | S 7 | ESE 2 | ESE 3 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | SW 7 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | — | WSW 9 | — | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | — | — |
— | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 56 | 116 | 110 | 38 | 220 | 691 | 1413 | — | 307 | — | 488 | 280 | 419 | 419 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 27 | 404 | 287 | 137 | 137 | 87 | 102 | 187 | 404 | 403 | 233 | 87 | 127 | 274 | 44 | 313 | 170 | 20 | 64 | 87 | 222 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Devon | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.











