Surf Forecasts:
Swanage surf forecast from 11 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period, E swell with 80 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Swanage this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Swanage in the next 16 days are 1.1m 6s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.0m 4s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 13) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Swanage over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Gutted, honestly. I’ve been staring at the charts for Swanage and it’s a proper dry spell. There’s nothing on the table that gets the heart racing for the next 16 days. We’re looking at a long, flat, and pretty grim run. The finder shows zero good surf options, and it’s not even a close call. It’s just a whole lot of nothing.
The first week is dead. From Tuesday the 11th through the weekend, we’ve got tiny, weak slop—mostly under 3 ft, with periods of 4 to 9 seconds. It’s all short-period wind chop. The combined swell energy is weak, sitting between 2 and 42, which tells you everything you need to know. Mostly onshore or cross-onshore winds, and the water’s going to be bumpy. There’s a couple of afternoons on the 13th and 16th with a bit of a cross-off wind that might clean things up, but there’s no swell behind it to make it worth the paddle. You’d be fighting for a 1 ft dribble. Not worth suiting up for.
The middle of the window, around Monday the 17th, gets a bit angry but not in a good way. The swell bumps up to 4 ft and the energy ticks to 63, but the wind is howling at 25 mph from the northeast, cross-onshore and messy. That’s just a blown-out, lumpy mess. With the beach setup, that looks a lot more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle surfers. Steer clear.
After that, it’s another week of near-flat conditions. The 22nd and 23rd of August have some cleaner, offshore west winds, finally, but the swell is still basically non-existent—1 ft at best with weak energy. It’s glassy and clean, sure, but there’s just no wave to ride. It’s the kind of day you’d go for a swim, not a surf.
Swanage (United Kingdom) is a sheltered, rarely breaking spot anyway, so this kind of blank run isn’t unusual. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there.
The long-range stuff, into the 24th, 25th, and 26th, stays tiny, with a hint of a longer period swell at 14 seconds on the 24th, but it’s still just 0.3 ft. All that energy, nowhere to go. It’s a frustrating outlook, but these runs never last forever. Forecasts change. Keep an eye on it, but don't hold your breath for a session this week.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 29°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Fri afternoon, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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) | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 4 | WSW 9 | SW 9 | SW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 9 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | N 3 | NE 4 | SW 7 | W 7 | E 5 | W 7 | W 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 28 | 36 | 70 | 25 | 16 | 17 | 21 | 0 | 30 | 17 | 0 | 20 | 6 | 22 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 62 | 1 | 2 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on |
High Tide | 7:21AM1.22m | 7:32PM1.48m | 8:05AM1.30m | 8:14PM1.59m | 8:47AM1.36m | 8:54PM1.65m | 9:26AM1.39m | 9:33PM1.65m | 10:05AM1.39m | 10:12PM1.60m | 10:42AM1.36m | 10:49PM1.49m | 11:18AM1.30m | 11:26PM1.35m | |||||||
Low Tide | 3:08PM0.15m | 3:36AM-0.19m | 3:53PM0.06m | 4:19AM-0.30m | 4:36PM0.02m | 5:01AM-0.34m | 5:17PM0.03m | 5:41AM-0.29m | 5:57PM0.08m | 6:20AM-0.18m | 6:37PM0.16m | 6:58AM-0.01m | 7:17PM0.28m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | | | | | | |  | | | | |  | | | | |
 | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — |
 | — | 8:36 | — | — | 8:34 | — | — | 8:31 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:24 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 22 | 21 | 25 | 29 | 28 | 23 | 29 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 20 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 22 | 18 |
Feels °C | 15 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 25 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 16 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | WSW 11 | WSW 10 | ESE 5 | E 5 | E 4 | WSW 5 | WSW 9 | — | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | — | WSW 4 | WSW 8 | ENE 4 | — | W 7 | E 5 | ESE 6 |
| kJ | 4 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 43 | 17 | 3 | 30 | 17 | — | 20 | 4 | — | 4 | 6 | 2 | — | 1 | 27 | 10 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 10 | W 12 | SW 6 | W 6 | WSW 9 | SW 9 | — | WSW 10 | — | — | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | — | WSW 8 | — | SW 7 | W 7 | — | W 7 | W 7 |
| kJ | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 21 | — | 9 | — | — | 7 | 6 | — | 6 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | — | W 9 | — | — | W 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | E 4 | — | — | SW 4 | NNW 3 | WSW 5 | WSW 4 | NNW 3 | NNE 3 | WSW 8 | N 3 | NE 4 | — | — | E 5 | — | — |
| kJ | 28 | 36 | 70 | 25 | 16 | — | — | 21 | 1 | 9 | 29 | 6 | 3 | 22 | 7 | 12 | — | — | 62 | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 441 | 318 | 170 | 159 | 108 | 14 | 137 | 246 | 178 | 155 | 252 | 139 | 155 | 238 | 344 | 467 | 344 | 436 | 554 | 250 | 186 |
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.
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