Surf Forecasts:
Swanage surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 7s period, WSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 7s period, WSW swell with 565 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 7s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Swanage this week:
The surf forecast for Swanage over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.1m and 7s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Swanage in the next 16 days are 2.3m 7s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Swanage over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – looking at the Swanage forecast for the next couple of weeks, and it’s a tough watch. There’s a big old gap of nothing happening, so don’t bother checking the cam for a while.
The first real chance to even think about getting wet doesn’t come until Tuesday morning, the 25th of August. We see a bit of a push from an easterly swell, but it’s a messy, short-period windswell at just 6 seconds, bumping up to about 4ft. The wind is howling onshore from the ENE at 19 mph, so it’s gonna be blown out and lumpy. The combined energy is a meagre 127, which tells you it’s weak and unorganized. Honestly, this is a write-off for a proper surf. If you’re desperate, maybe, but don’t expect any joy.
The next window pops up on Thursday afternoon, the 27th of August. We get a cleaner look with a cross-offshore breeze from the SSW at 16 mph. Swell bumps up a bit to 5ft out of the SW, but the period is still a short 6 seconds. The energy reading jumps to 195, which is moderate, but it’s just not a nice wave. It’s a poor surf call again.
Friday the 28th of August afternoon sees a bigger pulse – 5ft from the SW with a 9-second period and a cross-offshore wind from the WSW at 22 mph. The energy jumps significantly to 487, which is strong. It’s clean, but the wave quality is still listed as poor. Might be a bit of a close-out machine.
Then we get into the weekend. Saturday morning, the 29th of August, is probably the standout for the whole outlook, and that’s not saying a whole lot. We’ve got a 7ft swell from the WSW with a clean offshore wind from the west at 19 mph. The period is a weak 6 seconds, but the energy is a solid 305. It’s gonna be clean on the face, but that short period means it’ll be a bit fat and hard to get into. By Saturday afternoon, the wind picks up to a strong 25 mph offshore, the swell hits 7ft, and energy is 424. It’s clean but powerful and a bit of a handful – that’s expert territory only. This is the only period that looks even remotely surfable for a competent surfer, but don’t get your hopes up.
After that, it’s back to flatness or tiny, messy drivel for over a week. There’s a tiny bump of 0.3ft with a super long 14-second period on the 4th of September, but the energy is only 6 – totally weak.
Then, right at the tail end, on Sunday the 6th of September afternoon, we see another spike: 8ft from the SW, 7-second period, and a clean offshore wind from the WSW at 22 mph. Energy is a very strong 476. But again, short period, and it’s over two weeks out, so take it with a pinch of salt.
Overall, the combined energy figures are mostly in the low two-digit range (weak) or the low three-digit range (moderate), apart from a few bursts. For a spot that’s rarely breaking, this is a pretty normal blank run. Don’t hold your breath.
Stay salty,
Rusty
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue afternoon. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (calm on Sat night, strong winds from the E by Mon morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 23mm), heaviest during Fri morning. Warm (max 20°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (calm on Wed night, fresh winds from the WSW by Fri afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | S 14 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | WSW 10 | SW 9 | SW 9 | E 6 | ESE 5 | SW 8 | SSW 8 | SW 3 | ESE 4 | W 8 | SW 6 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SW 9 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
4 | 8 | 67 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 120 | 29 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 170 | 186 | 67 | 449 | 450 | 305 | 424 | 262 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 6:31AM0.89m | 6:30PM1.05m | 7:00AM0.97m | 7:00PM1.16m | 7:28AM1.05m | 7:28PM1.26m | 7:55AM1.13m | 7:55PM1.37m | 8:21AM1.22m | 8:22PM1.46m | 8:47AM1.30m | 8:50PM1.53m | 9:15AM1.38m | 9:20PM1.59m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:46PM0.58m | 2:17AM0.41m | 2:22PM0.48m | 2:47AM0.28m | 2:53PM0.38m | 3:15AM0.15m | 3:22PM0.30m | 3:44AM0.04m | 3:53PM0.23m | 4:14AM-0.05m | 4:25PM0.18m | 4:46AM-0.10m | 4:59PM0.16m | ||||||||
6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | 8:13 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 12 | — | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | SW 14 | SW 11 | WSW 10 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SW 8 | ESE 3 | SW 3 | SW 5 | ESE 4 | SW 8 | — | SW 6 | SE 6 | — | — | — | — |
2 | 8 | 19 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 25 | — | 52 | 38 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | W 11 | W 11 | — | SSW 8 | SW 7 | SW 7 | W 8 | — | — | SW 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 67 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | W 8 | — | — | — | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 3 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 6 | ESE 5 | ESE 4 | SSW 3 | — | ESE 4 | SW 5 | SW 6 | SW 9 | SSE 5 | SW 9 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 |
1 | 6 | 67 | 266 | 356 | 353 | 120 | 29 | 6 | 1 | — | 15 | 73 | 170 | 186 | 61 | 449 | 450 | 305 | 424 | 262 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 217 | 209 | 186 | 570 | 201 | 226 | 129 | 246 | 217 | 217 | 418 | 141 | 207 | 223 | 2 | 47 | 179 | 0 | 443 | 184 | 246 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Coast of England | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Swanage Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Swanage provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Swanage can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Swanage 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 (Swanage) 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 Swanage 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.
Swanage is 13 km (8 miles) from the city of Poole. If you plan a holiday in South Coast of England, look for hotels and other accommodation in Poole. Poole has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











