Surf Forecasts:
Salcombe surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, W swell with 379 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Salcombe this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Salcombe in the next 16 days are 1.4m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Thu 13th Aug) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Salcombe over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Salcombe over the next couple of weeks.
Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – this is a tough stretch. The forecast is basically a blank wall of “poor surf conditions” for the entire 16-day window. There’s a massive gap with no real surf to speak of. We’re looking at a long, dry spell from August 11th all the way through to August 24th. The first hint of anything even remotely ridable doesn’t show up until Monday morning, August 25th.
So, for the here and now, it’s a bust. The water’s sitting at 66°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only good news. The wind is mostly cross or cross-onshore, and the swell is tiny. You’re looking at waist-high slop, if that. The energy levels are pathetically low, mostly under 100 (59) for the first week. It’s just not worth paddling out.
Now, the one faint glimmer comes on Monday the 25th of August. The wind finally swings offshore from the NNW at 19 mph, cleaning things right up. Swell from the W at 4 ft, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 235 (moderate wave energy). It’s still not big, but for this forecast, it’s the standout. The offshore wind is the key here; it’ll be the cleanest we’ll see all fortnight. The swell direction is W, which is fine for this sheltered spot, but it’s not the optimum S direction. Still, with clean conditions, it’s the best on offer. The Tuesday afternoon on the 26th sees a burst of bigger energy at 7 ft from the WSW with a period of 7 seconds, hitting 445 (strong wave energy), but the wind is cross-shore, making it a messy, lumpy affair. That one’s probably more interesting for the kite crew than anyone on a paddle board.
Honestly, mate, keep your board in the car and your expectations low. The 25th morning is your only real shot, and even then, it’s a gamble. It tends not to stay this poor for long, and forecasts can change, but as it stands, this is a quiet one for Salcombe.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Thu afternoon, min 18°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun night. Warm (max 25°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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) | E 5 | E 5 | W 10 | W 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 9 | W 8 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 42 | 33 | 73 | 92 | 110 | 184 | 296 | 151 | 133 | 157 | 50 | 63 | 76 | 42 | 18 | 17 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 29 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:26PM3.77m | 6:59AM3.67m | 7:16PM4.08m | 7:44AM3.89m | 7:58PM4.29m | 8:25AM4.03m | 8:37PM4.37m | 9:02AM4.05m | 9:13PM4.31m | 9:36AM3.98m | 9:47PM4.14m | 10:08AM3.84m | 10:18PM3.89m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:07AM0.31m | 12:24PM0.30m | 00:54AM0.02m | 1:08PM0.08m | 1:37AM-0.16m | 1:49PM-0.04m | 2:16AM-0.22m | 2:28PM-0.05m | 2:53AM-0.15m | 3:05PM0.05m | 3:29AM0.03m | 3:41PM0.25m | ||||||||
 |  | | | | | |  | | | |  | | | |  |  | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — |
 | 8:42 | — | — | 8:39 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 19 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 28 | 30 | 20 | 23 | 25 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 20 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | WSW 11 | W 10 | W 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 10 | ENE 5 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 5 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | ENE 4 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 |
| kJ | 5 | 25 | 73 | 92 | 110 | 184 | 9 | 151 | 133 | 99 | 24 | 63 | 76 | 42 | 18 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 29 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 6 | W 7 | SW 6 | SW 6 | — | E 5 | ENE 5 | E 4 | — | — | W 8 | W 10 | NE 4 | WNW 5 | — | W 7 | E 4 | — | W 9 | E 5 |
| kJ | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | 19 | 9 | 2 | — | — | 50 | 2 | 2 | 13 | — | 17 | 1 | — | 6 | 11 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 9 | S 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 4 | — | S 18 | — |
| kJ | 8 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | 6 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | E 5 | E 6 | E 5 | E 5 | — | W 10 | W 4 | WNW 3 | W 9 | N 3 | NNE 4 | — | N 3 | NE 5 | — | WNW 4 | NE 3 | ENE 3 | — |
| kJ | 42 | 33 | 56 | 47 | 33 | — | 296 | 18 | 4 | 157 | 1 | 5 | — | 5 | 11 | — | 11 | 2 | 2 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 199 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 24 | 1 | 216 | 24 | 135 | 252 | 117 | 165 | 165 | 212 | 492 | 252 | 558 | 442 | 374 | 90 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Devon | ||||||||||||||||||||
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 Salcombe 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 Salcombe Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Salcombe provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Salcombe can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Salcombe 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 (Salcombe) 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 Salcombe 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.
Salcombe is 21 km (13 miles) from the city of Dartmouth. If you plan a holiday in South Devon, look for hotels and other accommodation in Dartmouth. Dartmouth has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.
Nearest