Salcombe Surf Break

Lat Long: 50.21° N 3.79° W

Salcombe Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 pm 20 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Salcombe sea temperature is
18.6° C
1.7° 

Salcombe surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Salcombe surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period, W swell with offshore winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 9s period, W swell with 425 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (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 Thursday (Aug 20) at 10PM. 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 1.6m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 10PM. 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 27) at 7PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)10PM (Thu 20th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 9s
Best Surf10PM (Thu 20th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 9s
Most Powerful10PM (Thu 20th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 9s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Salcombe over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you about the surf ahead. It’s a tough stretch for Salcombe, no two ways about it. We’re looking at a long window where the ocean just isn’t playing ball for us. We’ve got a lot of blown-out, messy conditions and onshore winds doing their best to ruin any chance of a clean wave.

The water temp is sitting at 66°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing while you’re shaking your head at the ocean. Let's get into the daily grind of it.

The first real chance of anything doesn't come until the 20th, and even then it’s rough. We’ve got a 6ft swell from the west on Thursday morning, but with a 19 mph cross-offshore wind, it’s just not holding up. It’s a battle, not a pleasure. The energy reading is 453, which is moderate, but the wind and the short period make it a mess. The swell period is only 9 seconds, and that’s not doing us any favors. Thursday afternoon is more of the same, a bit bigger at 6ft but still poor.

The gap between genuinely surfable days is big. We’re talking a week or more of close to nothing. Friday the 21st is a small 3ft, and then it just dribbles down to barely a ripple. There’s a stint from the 22nd through the 25th where the swell is tiny and the wind is all wrong—cross-onshore and messy, with strong breezes. It’s a dead zone. You’d be better off finding a skatepark.

Now, there is one moment that gets the heart going, but it’s a long way off. The 29th of August is the standout, the one true spike in this whole forecast. Saturday morning we’re looking at a solid 12ft of west-southwest swell, with the energy reading going off the charts at 2027. That’s strong, powerful stuff. The wind is a cross-offshore at 19 mph, which will keep the faces relatively clean. That’s a big, serious wave. At 12ft, this is strictly for experts—this is not a beginner’s day, this is a day for people who know exactly what they’re doing. The period is 9 seconds, which is okay, but that size is the real story. It’s a distant, promising blip, but the long-range call is less certain. The energy is huge, and if it lines up, it could be the one to get out for. The afternoon sees it back off slightly to 10ft but it’s still hefty, and the wind picks up to 22 mph.

Before that, the 26th and 28th show some pulse. The 26th has around 6ft from the southwest, but with onshore winds, it’s not going to be pretty. The 28th builds again, with 8ft on the morning and 8ft by the afternoon, but it’s cross-shore with a lumpy chop, and that’s not what you want. It’s a chop fest, and if you’re not careful, you’ll be spending more time duck-diving than surfing. At that size and with that wind, for a break like this, it might be more interesting for a kite than a paddleboard.

After the big day on the 29th, it fades fast. The 30th is smaller and mixed with a storm risk, and then we’re back to small, clean but tiny waves with offshore winds. The 31st and into September we’ve got some offshore flow, but the swell is just too small to be worth the paddle. It’s clean, but you’ll be fighting for ankle-biters.

So, there you have it. One big, promising Saturday on the 29th that’s a long way out and could change. A whole lot of nothing in between. It’s one of those stretches where you wait it out and hope the forecast shifts. It tends not to stay this poor for long, so keep an eye on it. But don’t get your hopes up for the rest of the week.

Rusty out.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Thu morning, light winds from the SE by Fri morning).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon night, min 16°C on Sun morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the E on Mon morning, light winds from the E by Tue night).

Thursday
20
Friday
21
Saturday
22
Sunday
23
Monday
24
Tuesday
25
Wednesday
26
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
1.7
W
9
1.8
W
9
1.4
W
9
0.9
W
9
0.8
W
8
0.5
W
8
0.5
W
10
0.4
W
9
0.4
W
9
0.3
W
9
0.2
WSW
12
0.4
WSW
10
1.6
E
6
2
E
7
1.9
E
7
1
E
6
0.4
SW
8
0.5
SW
8
1.7
SW
7
1.7
SW
8
1
W
10
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
445
533
332
130
90
33
45
26
25
13
14
37
164
352
337
74
21
33
287
389
177
Wind (km/h)
30
W
30
WNW
20
NW
10
NNE
10
W
10
N
25
ENE
15
SE
10
NE
15
ENE
15
ESE
25
NE
40
E
40
E
40
ENE
25
ESE
20
ESE
10
WSW
25
S
25
SSE
30
WSW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
on
cross-off
cross
cross-on
cross
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
on
cross-off
cross-on
on
cross-off
High Tide
11:45AM3.15m
00:03AM2.99m
12:31PM2.91m
00:56AM2.73m
1:35PM2.72m
2:16AM2.57m
3:13PM2.68m
4:13AM2.61m
4:59PM2.88m
5:36AM2.86m
5:56PM3.20m
6:22AM3.16m
6:36PM3.52m
Low Tide
5:31PM1.18m
5:52AM1.30m
6:25PM1.50m
7:00AM1.59m
8:23PM1.69m
9:13AM1.65m
10:11PM1.55m
10:32AM1.45m
11:08PM1.28m
11:20AM1.17m
11:49PM0.96m
11:58AM0.87m
00:23AM0.64m
clear
clear
clear
rain showers
rain showers
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
rain showers
light rain
thunderstorm
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
6:09
6:11
6:13
6:15
6:16
6:18
6:18
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:24
8:22
8:21
8:19
8:16
8:15
8:13
 mm
1
5
1
5
3
Temp °C
19
20
15
16
18
15
16
17
18
18
18
17
18
18
19
19
19
18
18
17
18
Feels °C
13
14
12
14
14
12
11
14
16
15
15
14
11
11
12
17
18
19
15
14
14
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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.

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