Surf Forecasts:
Rest Bay surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 10s period, WSW swell with 135 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 0.9m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 4PM. 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 | 4PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Rest Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. The finder file for this region has nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, in the way of a surf recommendation. Across the entire 16-day outlook, every single time slot is flagged as "poor surf conditions" with a score of zero. That’s a tough beat.
We’re looking at Rest Bay, a beach and point setup that’s fairly exposed and generally needs a solid SW swell to work. The optimum direction is SW, but what we’ve got coming through is a messy mix of weak W and WSW windswell, with periods often under 8 seconds. The combined energy of all swells directed here stays weak, barely cracking 100 (52 on Thursday afternoon, 108 on Thursday 13th morning, 229 on Thursday 13th afternoon, but even then it’s still raw and wind-affected). The water temperature is sitting at 69°F, which is a massive 8°F warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s very unusual, the sea is running much warmer than usual.
The wind is the real killer here. For the first week, it’s mostly onshore from the W or WSW, with speeds ranging from 6 to 19 mph, and plenty of "fresh breeze" or "moderate breeze" labels. There are a few moments of cross-off or cross-shore, like Saturday morning 8th August with a light SE breeze, or Tuesday morning 11th and Monday morning 17th, but the swell is barely a ripple – 0.3 ft to 2 ft at best. It’s just not enough.
Even into the second week, from 14th August onward, the pattern doesn’t shift. Winds remain onshore or cross-on, and the swell stays tiny and weak. There’s a slight uptick in energy on 13th August afternoon (229 combined energy), but that’s still a 3 ft WSW swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is onshore at 16 mph. It’s unsurfable.
Realistically, with the combination of weak swell, constant onshore winds, and poor surf quality, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of the period. There are no standout days, no hidden gems. The forecast is certain on this one – it’s a blank run. If you’re desperate for a paddle, maybe the early morning of 18th August Tuesday offers a tiny 2 ft WSW swell with a 8-second period and a light cross-off SE breeze, but I wouldn’t hold your breath.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun morning, min 13°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Tue afternoon, min 17°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Thu 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | ||||||||||||||
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 6 | W 5 | WSW 5 | W 5 | W 4 | W 9 | SW 9 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | W 4 | W 8 | W 8 | W 4 | W 8 | W 10 | WSW 12 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 44 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 57 | 100 | 88 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross | on | on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | off | cross-off | cross | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 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 | 6:42AM8.41m | 7:05PM8.95m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 12:53PM0.78m | 1:21AM0.39m | |||||||
 |  | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — |
 | 8:54 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:47 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:44 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 29 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 10 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 5 | WSW 5 | W 9 | W 4 | — | SW 9 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | W 4 | SW 6 | SW 6 | W 4 | SW 6 | W 10 | WSW 12 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 |
| kJ | 8 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 57 | 100 | 88 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 10 | W 9 | — | W 9 | W 9 | — | — | W 8 | W 8 | SW 6 | — | W 8 | SW 6 | W 8 | SW 6 | SW 6 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 2 | 2 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | W 8 | SW 6 | W 8 | — | — | W 7 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | — | — | W 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 44 | — | — | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 381 | 245 | 340 | 360 | 356 | 355 | 208 | 194 | 447 | 211 | 194 | 195 | 211 | 193 | 208 | 311 | 34 | 40 | 138 | 22 |
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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