Surf Forecasts:
Salcombe surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, W swell with 479 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Salcombe in the next 16 days are 1.6m 10s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Friday (Sep 04) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Salcombe over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s be straight with you. The Salcombe area is in for a tough run over the next 16 days. I’ve looked through everything, and honestly, there’s not a single session that I’d recommend you paddle out for. The forecast keeps churning out poor surf conditions across the board, so if you’re itching for waves, you might be better off checking the forecasts again in a few days.
Right now, the only break on the radar is Salcombe, a sheltered spot that’s inconsistent and rarely breaks – and when it does, it’s not doing us any favours this period. The water temperature is sitting at 65°F here, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least a spring suit will be fine.
We start off on Monday afternoon (31 August) with some lumpy 7ft swell from the west, period at 10 seconds, and a cross-off wind from the WNW at 19 mph. There’s a decent amount of energy in the water (904), but the quality just isn’t there. It’s a no-go. Tuesday morning (1 September) drops right off to 3ft, and the wind swings around to a light cross, but the surf is still poor. That trend continues through the first week – small, messy, and mostly cross or onshore winds. By Wednesday morning (2 September), we’re down to 1.0ft, and it’s not worth a second look.
There’s a bit of a bump mid-week: Thursday and Friday (3-4 September) see waist-to-chest high swell around 5-5ft, with cross-off winds and clean conditions, but the energy is only moderate (218-326) and the period is short at 8 seconds. Even then, the surf quality is rated poor, so it’s not going to deliver. The weekend (5-6 September) turns onshore and small, with winds from the ESE and SE, leaving us with choppy, blown-out scraps.
The second week brings a few more pulses, but nothing that changes the story. Wednesday (9 September) shows a 6ft west swell with a 10-second period and a fresh cross-off wind, giving us a solid 539 in combined energy, but again, the surf quality is poor. Thursday (10 September) has similar size but with near gale-force winds – that’s a kite-surfing setup if anything, not for paddling. By Friday (11 September), we get a clean offshore wind from the NW, but the swell is only 3ft, so it’s tiny and weak (96 energy). The following weekend (12-13 September) sees a shift to an easterly swell, with 8ft on Sunday morning, but it’s wind-affected and onshore, making it a messy, expert-only affair at best, with strong energy (770) but no quality.
The final few days (14-15 September) fade back to small, weak, and mostly onshore, with a brief offshore window on the 15th giving us clean but tiny 3-4ft waves from the east. Nothing to get excited about.
So, the bottom line: there’s a 16-day stretch with no standout surf at Salcombe. The inconsistency here is normal for this spot, and while the forecasts can change, right now I’d say save your energy and wait for a better window.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu morning, min 15°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the W on Mon night, fresh winds from the SW by Wed afternoon). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun morning. Warm (max 20°C on Fri morning, min 15°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Thu night, light winds from the NE by Fri night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | ||||||||||||||
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 10 | W 10 | W 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | W 8 | SW 15 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | E 5 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
904 | 479 | 165 | 106 | 70 | 11 | 9 | 244 | 210 | 244 | 276 | 318 | 311 | 198 | 130 | 108 | 83 | 60 | 39 | 34 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 9:14PM4.15m | 9:34AM3.94m | 9:46PM4.02m | 10:07AM3.82m | 10:21PM3.80m | 10:44AM3.62m | 11:03PM3.52m | 11:30AM3.37m | 11:58PM3.20m | 12:34PM3.12m | 1:18AM2.93m | 2:07PM2.98m | 3:10AM2.85m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:01AM-0.14m | 3:16PM0.01m | 3:37AM0.00m | 3:54PM0.17m | 4:16AM0.25m | 4:36PM0.45m | 5:00AM0.60m | 5:27PM0.80m | 5:56AM0.98m | 6:38PM1.14m | 7:21AM1.29m | 8:28PM1.28m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | |
8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:49 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 19 |
Feels °C | 12 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 10 | W 9 | WSW 9 | SW 16 | W 8 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | E 5 |
— | 479 | 165 | 106 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 311 | 198 | 130 | 108 | 83 | 60 | 39 | 34 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 17 | — | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | W 9 |
— | — | — | 6 | — | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 23 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 15 | — | — | — | — | SSE 4 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | — | — | — | WSW 8 | SW 4 | SW 6 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | — | — | — | — | ESE 3 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | — |
904 | — | — | — | 70 | 38 | 123 | 244 | 210 | 244 | 276 | 318 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 15 | 25 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 157 | 0 | 85 | 96 | 84 | 269 | 169 | 169 | 95 | 157 | 217 | 135 | 135 | 1 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 97 | 175 | 271 |
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.











