Surf Forecasts:
Rest Bay surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 8s period, WSW swell with 181 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 21 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Rest Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Rest Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 21) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Rest Bay in the next 16 days are 1.3m 8s 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 0.5m 3s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Fri 21st Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rest Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. I’ve had a good look at what’s on the cards for Rest Bay over the next couple of weeks, and I’ll be straight with you – it’s a grim stretch. The whole 16-day window is pretty much a write-off, with no good surf on offer at all. We’re looking at a solid blank run here, which is a bit more normal for the area when the conditions just don’t align.
Starting off Thursday, the 20th, we’ve got a 4ft WSW swell with a short 8-second period, but it’s totally ruined by a strong cross-onshore wind. The water’s about average temperature for this time of year, not that it’ll matter much with that chop. The combined swell energy is low, at 332 (weak to moderate), but it’s just messy.
Friday the 21st starts with a glassy morning, but the swell has dropped to a tiny 2ft. It’s clean, but there’s zero push. The energy reading is a whisper at 36.
Saturday and Sunday the 22nd and 23rd see the swell fizzle out completely, with waves barely reaching 0.7ft to 1ft. Even with glassy conditions, you’d be floating around waiting for a ripple. Combined energy is down in the teens and twenties.
The following week doesn’t get any better. From Monday the 24th right through to the end of the month, a mix of onshore winds and small, short-period swell keeps the surf poor. The biggest pulse we see comes on Sunday the 30th, with a 5ft to 6ft WSW swell, but it’s paired with cross-shore winds and a period under 8 seconds, making it just a bumpy, choppy mess. The energy climbs to 382 (moderate), but without shape or clean conditions, it’s no good for a paddle.
We even get a spike on Monday the 31st – a 8ft W swell with a 10-second period, pushing combined energy up to 1961 (strong). That’s a serious amount of water moving, but the wind is howling cross-onshore and there are thunderstorms. That’s expert-only territory, and even then, it’s going to be a battle. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
The first few days of September offer no relief. Winds stay cross-on or onshore, and the swell remains small and weak. There’s just no window of clean, ridable waves in the entire 16-day outlook. Keep the board in the garage, folks. Forecasts can change, but this is a long, quiet spell.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Sat afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Tue afternoon. Warm (max 25°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Sun morning, strong winds from the E by Mon night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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 | W 7 | WSW 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 4 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | W 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | W 10 | SW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 169 | 146 | 45 | 36 | 33 | 7 | 18 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 15 | 33 | 91 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | glassy | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off |
High Tide | 12:04PM6.72m | 00:30AM6.40m | 1:00PM6.16m | 1:39AM5.89m | 2:24PM5.84m | 3:16AM5.76m | 4:00PM5.98m | 4:38AM6.08m | 5:06PM6.47m | 5:32AM6.62m | 5:53PM7.08m | 6:13AM7.20m | 6:31PM7.70m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:45AM2.30m | 6:09PM2.56m | 6:37AM2.88m | 7:14PM3.08m | 7:53AM3.28m | 8:46PM3.31m | 9:31AM3.29m | 10:20PM3.09m | 10:50AM2.91m | 11:23PM2.60m | 11:43AM2.36m | 00:08AM2.02m | 12:22PM1.78m | 00:45AM1.45m | |||||||
 | |  | | |  |  |  | | | | | | |  |  | | | |  |  | |
 | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — |
 | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — |
mm | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 14 |
Temp °C | 17 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 17 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 8 | SW 15 | W 6 | W 8 | W 8 | W 4 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | W 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | SW 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | SW 9 | W 9 | W 12 | WSW 7 |
| kJ | 169 | 8 | 41 | 36 | 33 | 5 | 18 | 17 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 91 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | — | WSW 9 | — | W 13 | WSW 8 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 9 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 8 | W 8 | SW 8 | — | W 12 |
| kJ | 8 | — | 45 | — | 3 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 14 | — | — | W 6 | W 15 | — | — | W 14 | — | — | — | SW 14 | SW 9 | — | SW 13 | W 10 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | 8 | — | — | 3 | 5 | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | 8 | 3 | — | 7 | 2 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 7 | — | — | WNW 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ESE 2 | E 3 | E 3 | ENE 3 | SE 3 | SSW 3 | SW 4 | WSW 5 | — |
| kJ | 155 | 146 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 33 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 421 | 311 | 0 | 21 | 244 | 41 | 41 | 131 | 41 | 94 | 194 | 54 | 416 | 105 | 319 | 244 | 168 | 141 | 244 | 187 | 0 |
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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