Surf Forecasts:
Rest Bay surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 6 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 6s period, W swell with 76 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 1.0m 6s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 06) 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 0.3m 2s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 11) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Thu 6th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rest Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab a seat. It's Rusty here, and I've gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks at Rest Bay are looking pretty grim. We've got a long, quiet stretch ahead before anything even sniffs at rideable. Let's walk through it.
Right off the bat, from Wednesday the 5th of August through to basically the middle of the month, it's a complete write-off. We're looking at a solid week to ten days of tiny, weak, blown-out slop. The swell energy is barely registering, with values like 64 and below, and the wind is just relentless. It's mostly onshore or cross-onshore from the W or WNW, kicking up chop. You'd be fighting a losing battle out there. Even the few moments of glassy conditions on the morning of the 12th don't save it, because the swell is just too small at 1ft. Honestly, for a beach and point setup like this, that onshore wind and weak energy makes it look far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
We finally see a pulse of energy trying to build around the 17th of August, a Monday morning. The swell creeps up to 3ft from the WSW, but it's still a short-period, choppy 7 seconds, and the wind is onshore. The energy jumps to 147 (moderate), but the conditions are "moderate cross-onshore and choppy." Not exactly a green light.
The only real standout, and I use that term loosely, is on Thursday the 20th of August. The morning has a swell of 5ft from the WSW, period around 7 seconds. The combined energy is up to 189 (moderate), so there's some push. Crucially, the wind is a gentle cross-shore from the S, keeping it fairly clean with just a slight cross-chop. It's not perfect, but it's the best we've seen in 16 days. The afternoon, however, gets blown out by a fresh cross-onshore breeze. So, if you're itching for a paddle, that Thursday morning is your window. It's still not big, so it's fine for intermediates, but don't expect any hero waves.
So, bottom line: for the next 16 days, there's no proper green light. We have one date – Thursday the 20th of August morning – that's the only half-decent chance for a surf. Other than that, it's a blank run, which is fairly normal for this area when the summer winds lock in. Forecasts can change, but as it stands, it's a time to get your gear sorted and wait.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Wed afternoon, calm by Thu night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Tue morning, min 17°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | ||||||||||||||
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 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | W 5 | WSW 5 | W 3 | W 4 | W 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | W 4 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | W 4 | W 8 | W 10 | SW 11 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 198 | 74 | 62 | 44 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross | on | on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 11:50PM7.67m | 12:18PM7.30m | 00:47AM7.20m | 1:22PM6.93m | 2:01AM6.85m | 2:44PM6.79m | 3:28AM6.84m | 4:08PM7.06m | 4:47AM7.24m | 5:18PM7.66m | 5:50AM7.83m | 6:15PM8.35m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:22PM1.51m | 5:50AM1.68m | 6:15PM1.92m | 6:50AM2.11m | 7:26PM2.29m | 8:09AM2.39m | 8:54PM2.39m | 9:39AM2.34m | 10:24PM2.09m | 10:59AM1.92m | 11:36PM1.52m | 12:02PM1.34m | 00:33AM0.90m | |||||||
 |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — |
 | 8:57 | — | — | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:45 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 24 | 25 | 20 |
Feels °C | 10 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 6 | W 11 | W 10 | W 5 | WSW 5 | W 9 | W 4 | W 4 | WSW 8 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | W 4 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | W 4 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 11 |
| kJ | — | 62 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 9 | — | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | W 8 | W 8 | SW 6 | W 8 | W 8 | SW 6 | — | W 10 | SW 6 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | — | — | W 8 | W 8 | W 6 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 6 | — | — | W 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 3 | W 3 | W 3 | — | E 2 | ESE 2 | — |
| kJ | 198 | 74 | 62 | 44 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 356 | 355 | 211 | 421 | 286 | 340 | 360 | 356 | 208 | 208 | 94 | 194 | 211 | 211 | 405 | 195 | 194 | 150 | 256 | 90 |
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)
Latest Updates
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