Surf Forecasts:
Rest Bay surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 12 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 8s period, W swell with 231 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rest Bay this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Rest Bay in the next 16 days are 1.5m 7s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 12) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Sat 12th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rest Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a proper look at what’s on the cards for Rest Bay over the next couple of weeks.
I’ll be straight with you, mate – the outlook for Rest Bay is a frustrating one. We’ve got a very long, quiet spell ahead. There’s no surf worth getting excited about for the first several days, and the conditions are largely messy. The problem is the wind: it’s blowing onshore from the west and south-west almost continuously, which is exactly what you don’t want here. Even when there’s a bit of swell, it’s going to be blown out, choppy, and pretty ugly.
From Saturday the 12th right through until about Wednesday the 23rd of September, it’s a write-off. We’re looking at onshore winds from the SW, WSW, and W, with speeds often between 12 mph and 19 mph. The swell is small, mostly around 2 ft to 5 ft, but the real killer is the wind state – it’s either “on”, “cross-on”, or just a cross-shore mess. The combined swell energy is weak to moderate, with values like 125 and 192, but that energy is being wasted by the crap conditions. Honestly, for the first week and a half, this is looking more like a day to stay on the beach with a coffee than to paddle out.
However, we do get a glimmer of hope at the very end of the run. On Thursday the 24th of September, the wind finally turns. We get a clean, cross-offshore breeze from the ESE at 16 mph in the morning, and then lighter from the SSE at 9 mph in the afternoon. The swell is tiny – only 2 ft from the west with a short period of 5 seconds, so the wave energy is very weak (13). But that clean, glassy surface is a massive positive. It’s not going to be big, but it’ll be the only window for a clean little wave all week. The same for Friday the 25th – a morning of clear skies and a cross-off ESE at 12 mph keeps it clean, though the swell is still just a tiny 1 ft.
So, if you’re desperate, your only real look is the morning of Thursday the 24th and Friday the 25th. It’s small, it’s weak, but it’ll be the cleanest surf in a fortnight. The rest of the period is a dud.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Sat night. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Sat afternoon, light winds from the W by Sun night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon night, min 13°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 8 | WSW 6 | W 8 | WSW 7 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | W 8 | W 6 | W 7 | WSW 8 | W 10 | W 5 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | WSW 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 125 | 192 | 217 | 102 | 197 | 124 | 113 | 108 | 50 | 79 | 130 | 35 | 103 | 85 | 162 | 57 | 92 | 51 | 28 | 28 | 37 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 7:48AM9.13m | 8:06PM9.42m | 8:24AM9.15m | 8:41PM9.27m | 8:59AM8.95m | 9:16PM8.90m | 9:32AM8.57m | 9:49PM8.36m | 10:05AM8.05m | 10:23PM7.72m | 10:39AM7.43m | 10:59PM7.03m | 11:18AM6.78m | 11:43PM6.35m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:53PM0.11m | 2:13AM0.04m | 2:26PM0.13m | 2:45AM0.22m | 2:58PM0.36m | 3:16AM0.58m | 3:30PM0.76m | 3:47AM1.08m | 4:03PM1.29m | 4:19AM1.68m | 4:39PM1.92m | 4:56AM2.31m | 5:21PM2.57m | ||||||||
 | |  |  |  | |  | |  |  | |  | | |  | | | | | | | |
 | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — |
 | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:22 | — |
mm | — | — | 17 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 8 | WSW 7 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | W 9 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | — | W 6 | W 7 | WSW 8 | W 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | W 6 | W 6 | W 13 | W 12 |
| kJ | — | — | 217 | 102 | 32 | 124 | 113 | 76 | 50 | 79 | — | 35 | 103 | 85 | 162 | 18 | 9 | 51 | 28 | 3 | 3 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | WSW 10 | — | — | — | — | WSW 8 | W 11 | — | WSW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | — | W 12 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 52 | — | — | — | — | 14 | 2 | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 8 | — | 11 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 13 | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 8 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | — | WSW 10 | — | — | WSW 9 | — | — | W 8 | NW 3 | — | WNW 3 | WSW 10 | W 5 | W 6 | — | — | W 6 | WSW 7 |
| kJ | 125 | 192 | 203 | — | 197 | — | — | 108 | — | — | 130 | 3 | — | 7 | 136 | 57 | 92 | — | — | 28 | 37 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 152 | 298 | 152 | 22 | 84 | 70 | 138 | 138 | 124 | 40 | 340 | 22 | 22 | 70 | 311 | 356 | 355 | 133 | 142 | 254 | 115 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Wales - South East | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Rest Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Rest Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Rest Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Rest Bay 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 (Rest Bay) 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 Rest Bay 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.
Rest Bay is 1 km (1 miles) from Porthcawl. If you plan a holiday in Wales - South East, look for hotels and other accommodation in Porthcawl. Porthcawl has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
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