
Surf Forecasts:
Salcombe surf forecast from 15 Jul 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 15 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 7s period, E swell with 168 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 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Jul 15) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.5m 6s period and expected on Sunday (Jul 19) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Wed 15th Jul) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Salcombe over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G'day, Rusty here. Look, I've had a good look at the charts for Salcombe, and I'm not gonna sugar-coat it—this is a pretty grim 16-day outlook. For a spot that's sheltered and inconsistent, we're staring down the barrel of a long, flat spell. There's genuinely nothing worth paddling out for in the entire run. The first few days are a write-off, and the pattern just doesn't shift enough to offer any real hope.
We start on Wednesday, the 15th of July, and it's a mess. A 4ft ENE windswell with a short, weak 6-second period, but the 22 mph cross-shore wind has torn it to pieces. The combined wave energy is a weak 140, and it's just lumpy cross-chop. That afternoon, the wind swings onshore, making it even worse. Thursday, the 16th, is much the same story—a fresh cross-shore breeze and a 5ft, 5-second swell with 125 energy. Poor surf conditions all round.
Friday the 17th sees the swell drop to 3ft, then 2ft, with energy falling off a cliff. Saturday the 18th is flat as a pancake, with just 0.7ft of swell and energy in the single digits. We get a bit of a bump on Sunday the 19th, with 5ft of short-period ENE swell and 166 energy, but that fresh cross-shore wind is back at 22 mph, ruining any chance of a clean wave. It's the same sad story—poor surf conditions.
For the rest of the week, we're looking at tiny, weak swells with onshore or cross-shore winds. The combined energy barely cracks 100 on the 22nd of July, but again, it's choppy and messy. From the 24th of July onwards, the swell disappears completely, falling to 0.7ft for days on end. The wind does go clean and cross-offshore from the 24th, which is a positive, but with practically no swell, it's just a flat, clean ocean. The energy values are in the teens and twenties—absolutely nothing. Even the longer period groundswell that shows up on the 28th and 29th of July, with periods of 10 and 11 seconds, is only 0.7ft high. It's a tease.
Honestly, if you're after waves, look elsewhere. This is a classic summer flat spell for this sheltered area. The conditions are more suited for a kite surfer on a few of those windier days, but for stand-up paddle surfing, it's a no-go. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, but that's the only thing that's average—the surf is not.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Thu afternoon, min 17°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NE on Tue night, calm by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Sat afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the NE on Sat night, calm by Sun night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | Saturday 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | |||||||||||||||
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) | ENE 6 | E 7 | E 6 | ENE 5 | E 6 | E 6 | E 6 | E 5 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | ENE 6 | E 6 | E 5 | E 6 | E 5 | W 11 | W 10 | E 4 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
106 | 168 | 38 | 106 | 64 | 39 | 47 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 160 | 132 | 27 | 58 | 28 | 9 | 19 | 24 | 20 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 7:55AM3.85m | 8:13PM4.22m | 8:43AM3.93m | 8:58PM4.30m | 9:26AM3.93m | 9:39PM4.26m | 10:07AM3.85m | 10:19PM4.11m | 10:46AM3.70m | 10:57PM3.88m | 11:24AM3.51m | 11:35PM3.60m | 12:02PM3.31m | 00:13AM3.30m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:20PM0.09m | 1:51AM-0.11m | 2:05PM0.03m | 2:36AM-0.13m | 2:48PM0.07m | 3:19AM-0.04m | 3:30PM0.21m | 4:00AM0.15m | 4:12PM0.43m | 4:41AM0.40m | 4:54PM0.70m | 5:23AM0.70m | 5:39PM0.99m | ||||||||
5:20 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — | |
— | — | 9:20 | — | — | 9:19 | — | — | 9:17 | — | — | 9:16 | — | — | 9:15 | — | — | 9:15 | — | — | 9:14 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 17 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 24 | 24 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | E 6 | W 8 | E 5 | W 3 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | W 10 | W 9 | E 5 | E 5 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 |
17 | 15 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 39 | 5 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 28 | 7 | 19 | 18 | 17 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 7 | SSW 6 | SW 6 | WSW 7 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 6 | W 8 | E 5 | — | — | S 11 | W 11 | SW 19 | W 7 | — | W 8 | W 11 | W 8 | W 8 | S 16 |
7 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | — | — | 2 | 2 | 15 | 1 | — | 6 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 13 | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 9 | SW 12 | SW 6 | W 8 | SW 5 | SW 5 | — | — | — | W 10 | W 12 | W 12 | W 8 | — | — | — |
10 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 6 | E 7 | E 6 | ENE 5 | E 6 | — | E 6 | — | WNW 3 | NE 3 | — | NNW 4 | ENE 6 | E 6 | E 5 | E 6 | — | — | E 3 | E 4 | E 4 |
106 | 168 | 38 | 106 | 64 | — | 47 | — | 5 | 3 | — | 13 | 160 | 132 | 27 | 58 | — | — | 7 | 24 | 20 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 137 | 92 | 263 | 137 | 92 | 90 | 137 | 1106 | 479 | 479 | 557 | 85 | 482 | 396 | 85 | 439 | 480 | 493 | 137 | 99 | 90 |
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.










