
Surf Forecasts:
Salcombe surf forecast from 4 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 10s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 4PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 12s period, W swell with 1,116 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 4 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Salcombe this week:
The surf forecast for Salcombe over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 04) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Salcombe in the next 16 days are 1.9m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.6m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 10) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Fri 4th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6ft (1.9m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Salcombe over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, it’s Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming down the line for Salcombe. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, to be honest, but there are a couple of windows worth getting excited about.
The water’s a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 65°, so that’s a nice little bonus when you’re sitting out there waiting.
The first real chance to get wet looks like Friday the 4th of September. It’s not going to be a classic, though. We’ve got a 7ft swell from the WSW, but it’s a short-period 8 seconds, and that cross-off wind from the WNW at 12 mph is making it a bit of a wrestle. The combined energy is moderate (522). It’s surfable, but you’ll be working for it, and the tide is making things a bit questionable. Not the best start.
Saturday morning the 5th is a bit of a tease. The swell drops to 4ft from the W, but the period jumps to 12 seconds, which is a proper groundswell. The wind is light at 6 mph from the WNW, cross-off, so it’ll be clean. The energy is moderate (383). It’s surfable but very ordinary, as the report says. The afternoon sees the wind swing onshore, so morning is your only shot.
Now, Monday the 7th of September is where it gets interesting. The morning session is the standout of the whole run. We’ve got a 5ft swell from the W, with a 13-second period, giving it some real punch. The wind is offshore from the WNW at 12 mph, and the combined energy is strong (911). That’s a groundswell, and it’s going to be clean, with good shape. It’s the best on offer, no doubt. The afternoon gets a bit bigger at 6ft, but the wind picks up to 19 mph, making it a bit of a handful.
After that, the forecast gets pretty grim. From Tuesday the 8th right through to the middle of the month, it’s a long run of poor conditions. The swell is either too small, too short period, or the wind is howling. There’s a big gap of about a week where you’re better off doing something else.
We do get a little pulse of glassy conditions on the 12th of September – Saturday morning has a 3ft swell from the W with an 11-second period, and the wind is a glassy 3 mph from the ENE. The energy is moderate (260). It’s clean, but it’s just too small to get excited about. A log might be fun, but it’s not a standout.
The final week brings a bit of a north-easterly wind pattern, which is cross-off or cross-shore for Salcombe. On the 17th of September, Thursday morning, we have a 5ft swell from the W with a short 8-second period, and the wind is cross-off from the NE at 19 mph. The energy is moderate (358). It’s clean, but that period is short, so it’s going to be a bit weak and lumpy. The afternoon sees a bigger 6ft swell with a 10-second period and a lot of energy (1027), but the cross-shore wind will put a chop on it.
Honestly, if you’re looking for a day to paddle out, lock in Monday the 7th of September for the morning. That’s your best bet. The rest is a waiting game.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun morning, min 14°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Fri morning, calm by Sat night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 18°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Tue night, strong winds from the SW by Wed night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | W 9 | W 12 | W 12 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 13 | W 12 | W 12 | WSW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WSW 8 | SW 6 | WSW 8 | W 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
514 | 415 | 334 | 376 | 327 | 135 | 61 | 56 | 69 | 905 | 1116 | 865 | 725 | 529 | 367 | 251 | 187 | 101 | 374 | 629 | 487 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | on | on | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 11:30AM3.37m | 11:58PM3.20m | 12:34PM3.12m | 1:18AM2.93m | 2:07PM2.98m | 3:10AM2.85m | 3:58PM3.10m | 4:53AM3.07m | 5:20PM3.43m | 5:58AM3.41m | 6:15PM3.79m | 6:45AM3.72m | 6:58PM4.08m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 5:27PM0.80m | 5:56AM0.98m | 6:38PM1.14m | 7:21AM1.29m | 8:28PM1.28m | 9:12AM1.28m | 10:06PM1.04m | 10:31AM1.00m | 11:09PM0.66m | 11:26AM0.65m | 11:57PM0.30m | 12:11PM0.32m | 00:38AM0.01m | ||||||||
6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | |
— | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:43 | — | — | 7:40 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 13 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 12 | W 12 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 17 | W 13 | — | W 12 | — | — | — | — | — | W 13 | W 12 | — | W 9 |
8 | 8 | 7 | 376 | 327 | 135 | 61 | 56 | 54 | 905 | — | 865 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | — | 487 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SE 4 | ESE 4 | SE 12 | — | — | — | — | — | W 15 | — | W 13 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | 4 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 13 | SW 12 | W 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 8 | W 8 | W 9 | — | — | — | SE 4 | — | W 8 | — | W 12 | — | WSW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WSW 8 | SW 6 | WSW 8 | — |
514 | 415 | 334 | — | — | — | 9 | — | 69 | — | 1116 | — | 725 | 529 | 367 | 251 | 187 | 101 | 374 | 629 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 73 | 169 | 157 | 0 | 85 | 83 | 94 | 117 | 88 | 0 | 50 | 169 | 463 | 170 | 169 | 223 | 169 | 462 | 50 | 50 | 217 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Devon | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.










