Surf Forecasts:
Southerndown surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 7s period, WSW swell with 215 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 20 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s 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 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 9s. 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 1.5m 7s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Thu 20th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 5ft (1.5m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Southerndown over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here again. Let's talk about Southerndown in feet and miles per hour.
First off, the water is sitting at 70°, which is a whopping 8° warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s a very unusual anomaly, and it feels more like a tropical lagoon than the Bristol Channel. Weird, but nice.
For the first week, from Monday the 17th right through to the end of Sunday the 23rd, it’s a write-off. There's some swell on offer, but the wind is just wrong. It’s a relentless cross-onshore, mostly from the West, and the wave energy is weak (around 48). The swell is tiny, mostly around 1 ft to 3 ft, with a short, wind-swell period of just 6 seconds. You'll find choppy, lumpy conditions and nothing worth paddling out for. There’s a few cleaner moments on Friday the 21st and Saturday the 22nd with light east winds, but the swell drops to a measly 1 ft or even 0.3 ft with almost zero energy (17). It's flat. Don't bother.
Monday the 24th through Friday the 28th of August remains very poor. We see tiny waves, wrong winds, and nothing with any push. It's a long stretch of flat or nearly flat conditions.
Now, looking ahead to Saturday the 29th of August. The morning shows a bit of a pulse. Swell jumps to 6 ft from the WSW, with a moderate period of 9 seconds and the combined energy cranks up to 807 (strong wave energy). The wind is cross from the WNW at 12 mph, which isn’t perfect but it’s the best we’ve seen in a while. The wave comment says it's marginal, but the energy is there. This could be worth a look if you’re desperate for a paddle, but the cross-chop might make it ugly. By the afternoon, the wind swings onshore again and kills it.
Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st see more swell (4 ft to 7 ft) but with onshore gale-force winds. The wave energy hits 503 on Monday afternoon, but it's a messy, blown-out mess with a short 7-second period. Not surfable.
Into the first of September, Tuesday morning shows a 7 ft WSW swell with 8 seconds and strong energy (645), but again, onshore wind from the SSW. That size and power are only for experts, but the wind will make it a washing machine.
Overall, there is no standout session in this whole 16-day run. The wind just won't cooperate with the swell. The only real highlight is the morning of Saturday the 29th of August where we get a solid 6 ft of cross-shore swell, but it's still marginal at best. For Southerndown, this is a bleak outlook. It’s a fairly exposed spot, so it tends to get surf eventually, but the weather patterns are locking us out for now. Kite surfers might find a window on those windier afternoons, but for a paddle surfer, it's a long wait.
Stay patient.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | ||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | W 7 | W 6 | WSW 6 | W 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | W 7 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
42 | 17 | 107 | 78 | 62 | 81 | 117 | 215 | 147 | 89 | 30 | 24 | 22 | 14 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 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 | cross-on | cross | cross-on | off | cross-off | cross | off | cross-off | glassy | off | glassy | cross-on | off |
High Tide | 10:25PM8.43m | 10:44AM7.95m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:07PM0.80m | 4:29AM1.07m | 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 | |||||||
— | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | |
8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 14 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | WSW 7 | W 7 | — | W 17 | SW 16 | W 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | WSW 9 | W 6 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WNW 3 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 |
6 | 10 | 92 | — | 6 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 17 | 30 | 24 | 22 | 14 | 16 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 7 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 16 | — | SW 15 | WSW 9 | — | SW 13 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | WSW 9 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | — | 8 | 26 | — | 7 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | — | — | SW 13 | W 15 | — | SW 15 | W 15 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | 7 | 5 | — | 9 | 4 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | W 7 | W 6 | WSW 6 | W 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | W 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
42 | 17 | 107 | 78 | 62 | 81 | 117 | 215 | 147 | 89 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 353 | 401 | 165 | 306 | 79 | 306 | 306 | 165 | 79 | 49 | 9 | 43 | 43 | 92 | 56 | 147 | 347 | 92 | 195 | 263 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Wales - South East | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











