
Surf Forecasts:
Salcombe surf forecast from 2 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period, WSW swell with 366 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Salcombe this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Salcombe in the next 16 days are 1.9m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Friday (Aug 07) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Wed 5th Aug) | 6ft (1.9m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Salcombe over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you—this forecast for the Salcombe region is a tough read. We’re looking at a solid stretch of days where the ocean just isn’t cooperating for a proper surf. First up, and this is the only day I’m going to talk about water temp, the water’s sitting at a balmy 66°F, which is about 4°F warmer than you’d typically expect for this time of year. That’s a real treat if you can get in, but you’ll mostly be doing it for a swim, not a wave.
The whole 16-day window is a struggle. We’ve got a long, dry spell at the start. For the first couple of days, we're looking at tiny, weak swell and messy winds, so there’s nothing doing. That run of poor conditions stretches on for a while. There’s a slight bump in the swell around the 4th and 5th, with the energy picking up, but the wind is all over the place, making it choppy and messy. Not worth your time.
The weekend of the 7th and 8th drops right off again, with tiny waves and the energy just dying. We do see some glassy conditions on the morning of the 9th, but there's no swell to speak of—just 0.7ft of nothing.
The real issue is the direction. Salcombe is sheltered, and it wants swell from the south. Almost all the energy we see is coming from the west or southwest, which just doesn’t wrap in properly. There’s a little pulse of easterly windswell around the 10th and 11th, but it’s short-period junk, not worth paddling out for.
There’s a pick-up in size starting the 12th with a clean 4ft, but it's still from the west-southwest and the conditions are just... ordinary. We get a bit more size on the 15th, with an offshore wind in the afternoon, but it’s still a messy, cross-shore morning and the swell is short-period. The best of the lot, and I use that term loosely, is the last day, the 16th. We’ve got a building swell from the west, hitting 6ft to 6ft. The morning is clean with light offshore winds, and the afternoon, while windier, stays clean too. But this is still west swell at a spot that wants south. It’s not going to be good, just the least bad option on offer.
Honestly, if you’re desperate, the morning of the 16th is your play. Just keep expectations in the gutter. For everything else, the kites are going to have a better time of it than we are.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue afternoon, min 15°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Wed afternoon, light winds from the NW by Thu night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | ||||||||||||||
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) | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | SW 8 | SW 7 | SW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 6 | W 6 | W 9 | W 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
41 | 38 | 35 | 23 | 68 | 73 | 73 | 53 | 173 | 160 | 183 | 353 | 294 | 214 | 159 | 113 | 49 | 24 | 15 | 15 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 9:12PM4.02m | 9:34AM3.74m | 9:43PM4.00m | 10:06AM3.71m | 10:14PM3.91m | 10:39AM3.64m | 10:49PM3.77m | 11:16AM3.52m | 11:30PM3.58m | 12:01PM3.37m | 00:21AM3.35m | 12:58PM3.21m | 1:27AM3.13m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:54AM0.10m | 3:03PM0.21m | 3:27AM0.09m | 3:39PM0.26m | 4:03AM0.17m | 4:17PM0.38m | 4:43AM0.33m | 5:00PM0.57m | 5:28AM0.57m | 5:51PM0.82m | 6:25AM0.85m | 7:01PM1.06m | ||||||||
— | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:45 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | |
8:59 | — | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:55 | — | — | 8:53 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:49 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 17 | 20 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | — | — | — | S 13 | SW 13 | S 13 | SW 12 | W 10 | W 10 | W 6 | W 9 | W 9 |
41 | 38 | 35 | 23 | 68 | 73 | 73 | 53 | — | — | — | 3 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 17 | 17 | 24 | 15 | 15 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WNW 4 | — | W 11 | — | ENE 6 | E 6 | E 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 12 | SW 12 | W 9 | SW 12 | W 6 |
— | 5 | — | 2 | — | 13 | 15 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | 15 | 6 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 12 | SW 12 | — | SW 11 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | — | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 2 | NNE 3 | ENE 4 | ENE 4 | E 3 | — | — | WSW 3 | SW 8 | SW 7 | SW 7 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 6 | — | W 6 | W 4 |
1 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 173 | 160 | 183 | 353 | 294 | 214 | 159 | 113 | 49 | — | 23 | 8 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 135 | 92 | 480 | 115 | 90 | 24 | 104 | 92 | 238 | 169 | 222 | 217 | 217 | 217 | 374 | 169 | 1 | 117 | 519 | 224 |
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.











