Salcombe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up.

Straight up, I gotta be honest with you – this is a tough run ahead. The data’s showing a long, grim stretch of poor surf conditions for the area, with hardly anything to get excited about. We’re looking at a solid 16-day window here, but for the most part, the surf quality is just not there. After Saturday the 12th, there’s a huge gap with almost no worthwhile waves until we get to Friday the 18th. Even then, it’s only just surfable, not good.

Let’s talk about Salcombe first, because that’s the only show in town. The water temp is sitting at 64°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing your ears off. But that’s where the good news ends. The swell is small; we’re looking at around 3ft from the WSW on Saturday the 12th, but it’s a short-period windswell of 8 seconds, and the wind is a messy cross-off at 16 mph. It’s just not offering any shape. The combined energy is only 144, which is weak. This pattern sticks all weekend and into Monday.

There is a slight flicker of hope late in the first week. By Tuesday the 15th afternoon, we get a bit of a bump in size to 4ft from the W, and the wind swings offshore from the WNW at 19 mph, giving us clean faces. The period lengthens to 10 seconds, and the wave energy climbs into the moderate range at 333. But the forecast still calls it poor surf conditions. It’s frustrating, because the ingredients are almost there, but it just doesn’t come together. The offshore breeze is a major positive, but the swell just isn't organised enough to make it a standout.

The same goes for Wednesday the 16th – offshore wind again, clean, with 4ft of swell, but still, it’s labelled poor. The combined energy is 260, which is moderate but not delivering quality.

If you’re desperate, the best of a bad bunch looks like Friday the 18th. It’s a bit of a tease. The morning shows a 4ft swell from the W with a much longer period of 12 seconds – that’s proper groundswell energy. The combined energy is a solid 368, which is moderate but feels punchier. The wind is light from the WNW at 6 mph, making for clean conditions. The catch? The forecast admits it’s “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions” – a score of just 1 out of 10. For a spot that’s described as inconsistent, this is about as good as it gets in this window. The long period means the waves will have a bit more push and better shape, especially as it’s a sheltered spot, but don’t expect perfection. Get on it early, because it falls apart in the afternoon.

After that, we dip back into a long lull. The final days of the forecast show tiny waves and mostly onshore winds. Saturday the 20th is a write-off with 1ft and a long 14-second period that will do nothing at a sheltered beach break. Honestly, for the next two weeks, kite surfers might have more fun on those windier days, as the paddle surfing looks grim.

So, to sum it up: keep your expectations low. If you have to paddle out, try Friday the 18th morning at Salcombe for the cleanest conditions and a hint of groundswell. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game. Things look poor for a while, but it never stays that way forever.

Rusty.

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