Surf Forecasts:
Southerndown surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period, WSW swell with 169 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 7s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Southerndown this week:
The surf forecast for Southerndown over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.9m and 7s. Another secondary swell of 0.5m and 9s is also forecast. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Southerndown in the next 16 days are 1.2m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Southerndown over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be honest with you right off the bat: the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a paddle. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and messy surf ahead. The good news? There are a couple of signs of life towards the end of the window, but you’re going to need to pick your moments and maybe your spots carefully. It’s not going to be a classic fortnight.
The water’s a real standout, though. We’re looking at 69°F at Southerndown, which is a massive 8°F warmer than it should be for this time of year. That is very unusual, so at least if you’re getting skunked, you won’t be cold doing it.
The next four days are a write-off. Tuesday afternoon kicks things off with a westerly cross-on breeze at 22 mph making an absolute mess of the 4ft of slop. The swell energy is weak, only 94, and that's all you need to know. It's lumpy and poor. Wednesday is more of the same – tiny and onshore. Thursday sees a little more push, with about 4ft on offer, and the energy ticks up to a moderate 290 for the morning, but the wind is still cross-onshore, so it’s going to be a choppy, lumpy mess.
Friday morning, things go glassy-clean, but the swell drops right out to a tiny 2ft. It’s clean, but there’s just nothing to ride. That pattern holds for the weekend and into the start of next week. We’re looking at a stretch where the surf is under 1ft, mostly glassy and clean. It looks pretty, but it’s lake-like. There's a real gap here from Friday until about next Wednesday with nothing worth getting wet for.
The energy finally starts to come back a little on Wednesday the 26th. Morning looks clean with a light offshore, but the swell is a punchy 3ft with a weak 75 energy. It’s an improvement, but still below the fun threshold.
Now, hold on to your hats, because the final few days of the month are where the only real swell shows up. We’ve got two potential standouts, but they come with a caveat.
Saturday, August 29th is the first one to look at. The swell pushes up to 4ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon from the WSW. The energy is solid, hitting 323 and 256. This is the most powerful surf we’ve seen. The problem is, the wind is going to be fresh and cross-onshore, which will make it lumpy. It’s a bit of a battle, but there will be waves.
Monday, August 31st is the second and arguably better-looking window. The swell builds to 5ft by the afternoon, with a moderate 204 energy. Again, it’s from the WSW. Wind is moderate and onshore, so it won’t be clean, but it will be the biggest surf of the period. For a beginner, anything over 5ft is getting too big, and with the onshore wind, this one is for the more experienced crew.
Beyond that, into the first couple of days of September, we have about 4ft to 4ft of swell, but the winds stay problematic. The morning of Tuesday, September 1st has a cross-shore breeze that might offer some slightly better shape, but it’s still not ideal.
So, to sum it up: bring your wettie and enjoy the warm water, but don’t expect much in the way of waves for over a week. If you’re desperate, wait for the bigger, mushier days at the end of the month and manage your expectations. It’s not going to be pretty.
Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the W on Tue afternoon, light winds from the SW by Fri morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Fri afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Tue 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 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) | W 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | W 5 | WSW 6 | W 7 | W 7 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
94 | 64 | 39 | 54 | 123 | 146 | 159 | 108 | 41 | 22 | 14 | 9 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross | cross | glassy | cross | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross-on | glassy |
High Tide | 11:03PM7.76m | 11:22AM7.34m | 11:42PM7.06m | 12:04PM6.72m | 00:30AM6.40m | 1:00PM6.16m | 1:39AM5.89m | 2:24PM5.84m | 3:16AM5.76m | 4:00PM5.98m | 4:38AM6.08m | 5:06PM6.47m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:44PM1.34m | 5:05AM1.67m | 5:23PM1.95m | 5:45AM2.30m | 6:09PM2.56m | 6:37AM2.88m | 7:14PM3.08m | 7:53AM3.28m | 8:46PM3.31m | 9:31AM3.29m | 10:20PM3.09m | 10:50AM2.91m | 11:23PM2.60m | |||||||
— | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | |
8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:19 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 17 | WSW 6 | W 16 | SW 16 | WSW 7 | SW 15 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | W 3 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 |
— | 6 | 39 | 5 | 10 | 140 | 8 | 108 | 41 | 22 | 14 | 9 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 8 | 8 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 16 | — | W 9 | W 15 | — | SW 14 | — | W 13 | WNW 4 | WNW 4 | SW 15 | — | — | SW 14 | WSW 8 | — | SW 14 | W 4 |
— | — | 11 | — | 6 | 4 | — | 8 | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | 9 | — | — | 8 | 7 | — | 8 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 16 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | SW 15 | — | SW 15 | SW 14 | — | SW 14 | SW 14 | — | SW 13 |
— | — | — | — | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 10 | 9 | — | 8 | 8 | — | 8 | 8 | — | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 6 | WSW 6 | — | W 5 | WSW 6 | W 7 | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
94 | 64 | — | 54 | 123 | 146 | 159 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 306 | 49 | 130 | 306 | 196 | 79 | 79 | 0 | 12 | 130 | 347 | 318 | 252 | 92 | 130 | 428 | 263 | 354 | 444 | 195 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Wales - South East | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Southerndown Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Southerndown provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Southerndown can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Southerndown 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 (Southerndown) 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 Southerndown 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.
Are you planning a holiday in Wales - South East? If you are looking for accommodation near Southerndown, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Wales - South East, consider staying in Porthcawl which is 6 km (4 miles) away. Other places in and around Wales - South East where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Nash Point which is 8 km (5 miles) away, Coity, Maesteg and Barry.











