
Surf Forecasts:
Scarborough South Bay surf forecast from 18 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 20 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s period, NNE swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 19 Jul, 4AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 10s period, NNE swell with 943 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 20 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 9s period with NNE swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Scarborough South Bay this week:
The surf forecast for Scarborough South Bay over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 20) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.7m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Scarborough South Bay in the next 16 days are 2.3m 10s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 19) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Jul 25) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Mon 20th Jul) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Sun 19th Jul) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Scarborough South Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this is a tough one. The next 16 days are looking pretty grim around here. We’ve got a solid run of poor surf conditions with nothing rideable on the horizon for quite a while, so don’t bother checking the cams every five minutes.
Right now, starting Saturday the 18th, we’ve got a bumpy, lumpy mess. The swell is coming from the NNE at 6 ft, but with a short period of 8 seconds and a fresh 19 mph crosswind from the north, it’s just a chop-fest. The combined wave energy is moderate at best (336), but it’s all junk. Water temp is sitting at 60°, which is about average for this time of year, but you won’t care because you won’t be in the water.
Sunday the 19th is a bit of a tease. The swell actually bumps up to 7 ft from the NNE, with a slightly longer period of 9 seconds, giving us a solid (775) combined energy reading. That’s a proper amount of water moving. But the wind is still a messy cross-shore, and it’s all lumpy. At over 7 ft, this is expert-only territory even if it were clean, but it’s not. For the average surfer, it’s a hard pass.
Monday the 20th through Wednesday the 22nd sees the swell slowly drop from 5 ft down to 3 ft, all with short periods (7-8 seconds) and cross-onshore winds. It’s just choppy, weak, and ugly. The wave energy drops from moderate (262) down to weak (105). Nothing to get excited about.
Thursday the 23rd offers a little spike – 5 ft from the NNE, 8 seconds, with a light cross-onshore breeze in the morning. The energy is moderate (266). It’s still poor surf conditions, but that morning window might be the least terrible of the whole run. The wind is light, which helps, but the quality is still poor.
Then we hit a long, flat spell. From Friday the 24th onwards, the swell just falls off a cliff. By Friday afternoon, we have 2 ft with a flat 7-second period and a glassy wind. It’s clean, but it’s tiny. From Saturday the 25th through to Sunday the 2nd of August, the swell is almost non-existent, mostly 0.3 ft to 2 ft with periods of 4 to 7 seconds. The combined energy is in the single digits or low double digits – basically a puddle. The wind does go offshore for a good stretch, cleaning things up, but there’s no wave to clean up. It’s a long, flat, frustrating gap of about 10 days with no real surf.
The one bright spot? The offshore winds from the 25th to the 2nd of August are consistent and clean. If you’re a kite surfer, the setup on the flat water might be more interesting than for paddle surfing. For us, it’s a waiting game.
So, the brutal truth is: there is no true standout in this 16-day window. The best you can hope for is a brief, marginal session on Thursday the 23rd morning if you’re desperate. The rest of the time, you’re better off waxing your board and waiting for a better forecast. It tends not to stay this poor for long, and forecasts can change, but for now, it’s a solid blank.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 16°C on Mon morning, min 12°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NNW on Sat night, light winds from the NW by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Wed night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 18 | Sunday 19 | Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NNE 8 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | N 7 | N 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNW 6 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
336 | 761 | 775 | 631 | 464 | 262 | 172 | 118 | 72 | 66 | 62 | 105 | 134 | 196 | 266 | 199 | 155 | 86 | 47 | 30 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-off |
High Tide | 8:16PM4.51m | 8:17AM4.89m | 9:01PM4.28m | 9:04AM4.60m | 9:48PM4.04m | 9:53AM4.27m | 10:37PM3.81m | 10:49AM3.94m | 11:32PM3.63m | 11:53AM3.69m | 00:34AM3.53m | 1:04PM3.58m | 1:39AM3.54m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:17AM0.78m | 2:51PM0.21m | 3:01AM1.00m | 3:36PM0.57m | 3:46AM1.23m | 4:22PM0.95m | 4:36AM1.46m | 5:14PM1.31m | 5:36AM1.63m | 6:17PM1.57m | 6:49AM1.71m | 7:30PM1.67m | ||||||||
— | — | 4:52 | — | — | 4:52 | — | — | 4:54 | — | — | 4:56 | — | — | 4:56 | — | — | 4:58 | — | — | |
— | 9:23 | — | — | 9:22 | — | — | 9:21 | — | — | 9:19 | — | — | 9:17 | — | — | 9:16 | — | — | 9:15 | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 23 | 23 | 18 |
Feels °C | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | NNE 9 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | — | N 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | N 6 |
— | — | — | — | 464 | 262 | 172 | 118 | 72 | 66 | 62 | 105 | — | 196 | 266 | 199 | 155 | 86 | 47 | 19 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | ENE 7 | — | — | N 9 | N 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | NE 6 | ENE 6 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | 6 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 8 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | N 7 | — | — | — | SSW 2 | — | — | NNW 6 |
336 | 761 | 775 | 631 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 134 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 30 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 106 | 106 | 106 | 106 | 0 | 20 | 931 | 0 | 539 | 24 | 0 | 20 | 548 | 32 | 20 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 1309 | 415 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North East England | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Scarborough South Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Scarborough South Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Scarborough South Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Scarborough South Bay 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 (Scarborough South Bay) 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 Scarborough South Bay 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.
Scarborough South Bay is 3 km (2 miles) from Scarborough. If you plan a holiday in North East England, look for hotels and other accommodation in Scarborough. Scarborough has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










