Surf Forecasts:
Rest Bay surf forecast from 16 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 22 Jul, 7PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 4s period, NW swell with 12 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 0.6m 4s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 22) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 3s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Wed 22nd Jul) | 2ft (0.6m) 4s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rest Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get straight to it. I’m Rusty, and I’ve been watching this stretch of coast for a long time. Here’s the honest truth for the next 16 days.
To be blunt, this is a grim run for Rest Bay. The whole 16-day window is basically a write-off for any decent surf. You’ll be staring at flat, weak dribble from now until the end of the month. The first recommendation doesn’t even pop up until the 16th of July, and even then, it’s a cruel joke. Swell heights are stuck below 1 ft for the first week, with periods all over the shop but mostly short and weak. The combined energy is pathetic – we’re talking single digits and low teens (17) at best, which is barely a ripple. The water is a very unusual 67° – that’s 8° warmer than normal for this time of year, so it feels like a bath, but you won’t be catching anything in it.
The 27th of July morning finally shows a tiny pulse of life, with a 3 ft swell from the WSW, but it’s still weak (35 combined energy). The morning of the 27th might look clean with a light cross-offshore from the SE, but it’s just not enough to get excited about. The 29th of July afternoon sees a jump in energy to 131, but that’s accompanied by a moderate cross-onshore wind and choppy conditions, making it a mess. This is a beach and point break, so with that kind of onshore wind and small, weak swell, it’s honestly more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer.
There is no standout. There is no hidden gem. The consistency is fair, but consistently flat doesn’t help anyone. This is one of those blank runs where the area just isn’t delivering. Forecasts can change, but right now, I’d put the board away for a fortnight.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 27°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri morning, fresh winds from the ENE by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Mon night, min 15°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | NW 3 | WNW 4 | W 7 | W 7 | NW 4 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | NW 3 | NW 4 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 4 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-on | cross-on | off | off | on | off | on | cross-on | off | glassy | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | off |
High Tide | 8:50PM9.34m | 9:14AM8.89m | 9:35PM9.20m | 9:58AM8.63m | 10:18PM8.84m | 10:41AM8.22m | 11:02PM8.32m | 11:25AM7.72m | 11:46PM7.70m | 12:10PM7.18m | 00:34AM7.08m | 1:01PM6.69m | 1:29AM6.54m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:35PM0.35m | 3:04AM0.21m | 3:19PM0.40m | 3:48AM0.38m | 4:02PM0.64m | 4:31AM0.73m | 4:45PM1.02m | 5:13AM1.20m | 5:28PM1.51m | 5:57AM1.73m | 6:15PM2.03m | 6:44AM2.25m | 7:08PM2.51m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | |  | | | | | | | |  | | | | | |
 | 5:15 | — | — | 5:16 | — | — | 5:18 | — | — | 5:18 | — | — | 5:20 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:23 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:21 | — | — | 9:20 | — | — | 9:19 | — | — | 9:17 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 25 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 19 |
Feels °C | 23 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WNW 4 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 3 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 4 | W 7 | W 7 | NW 4 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 4 | W 11 | W 10 | WNW 4 | W 10 | W 10 | NW 4 |
| kJ | 7 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 7 | W 9 | SW 6 | SW 6 | W 8 | — | — | W 8 | NW 4 | — | W 7 | — | W 11 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 10 | W 7 | — | W 9 |
| kJ | 8 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | SW 14 | SW 7 | — | — | S 6 | — | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 12 | — | W 11 | W 8 | — | W 7 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 2 | 8 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NW 3 | ENE 3 | — | — | — | — | — | NE 2 | E 2 | — | — | — | NW 3 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 9 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 245 | 243 | 54 | 339 | 415 | 442 | 378 | 363 | 421 | 194 | 337 | 368 | 363 | 90 | 140 | 194 | 356 | 895 | 306 | 54 | |
Best forecast wave conditions in Wales - South East | |||||||||||||||||||||
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)
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Rest Bay surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest