Surf Forecasts:
Swanage surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 7s period, WSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 8s period, SW swell with 1,070 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Friday 28 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 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 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.2m and 7s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Swanage in the next 16 days are 3.0m 8s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 7s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 7s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Swanage over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you – if you're looking to get your feet wet around Swanage over the next couple of weeks, you're going to be fighting an uphill battle. The guidance file tells us Swanage is a very sheltered spot that rarely breaks, and the forecast over the next 16 days backs that up. Every single session in the data is marked as "poor surf conditions," so there's no standout day to get excited about. The water is sitting at 69°F with an anomaly of 7°F, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – that's a real oddity, but it won't help the waves.
The first possible surf shows up on Tuesday morning, 25th August, with a weak 5ft easterly swell, but at 6 seconds it's short-period and onshore from the east at 19 mph, making it messy. The combined energy is only 128, which is weak. Don't bother. Wednesday and Thursday are flat or tiny. Things pick up a bit on Friday morning, 28th August, with a 7ft southwest swell, but the period is short at 7 seconds and the wind is a cross-shore from the south at 16 mph, creating a cross-chop. The energy is moderate at 363. It's still not good.
Saturday the 29th sees the biggest swell of the period – 10ft from the southwest with a 7-second period, and cross-offshore winds from the southwest at 25 mph. That's strong energy at 928, but this is big, short-period, and windblown – only for the experts, and even then, the quality is poor. The following days stay mediocre with onshore or cross-offshore winds, and by the time we get into early September, the swell drops off again. There's a brief window of offshore wind on Monday, 31st August, with a 6ft swell, but the wind is howling at 25 mph, making it hard to paddle into.
Honestly, there's no session here that I'd recommend for a paddle. With the strong winds and consistent swell at times, this setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. The only option is to wait and hope the forecast changes, because for Swanage, a blank run like this is more normal for the area. Keep an eye on it, but don't hold your breath.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 21°C on Tue afternoon, min 17°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Tue morning, calm by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Fri night. Warm (max 20°C on Sat morning, min 16°C on Sat night). Mainly strong winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | E 5 | SW 8 | SSW 8 | SW 7 | E 3 | SE 5 | SW 5 | SW 8 | SW 7 | SW 7 | WSW 7 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 6 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 6 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 121 | 54 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 17 | 0 | 32 | 363 | 539 | 247 | 928 | 966 | 400 | 295 | 181 | 0 | 443 | 297 | 0 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | glassy | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 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 | 9:45AM1.43m | 9:52PM1.60m | 10:18AM1.46m | 10:27PM1.58m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 5:20AM-0.11m | 5:35PM0.16m | 5:55AM-0.07m | 6:13PM0.18m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | |  | | |  | | | | | |  | | | | | |
 | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:55 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 15 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | SSW 8 | E 5 | ESE 4 | E 4 | SW 4 | SE 5 | E 4 | SW 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 3 | 7 | 23 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 295 | 181 | — | — | — | — |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 11 | W 11 | SW 8 | SSW 8 | SW 7 | SW 7 | W 8 | E 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 3 | 2 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 8 | — | W 9 | — | W 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 6 | E 5 | — | — | — | E 3 | SW 4 | SW 5 | SW 6 | SW 7 | SW 7 | WSW 7 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 9 | SW 8 | WSW 6 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 6 |
| kJ | 121 | 54 | — | — | — | 5 | 15 | 57 | 36 | 363 | 539 | 247 | 928 | 966 | 400 | 216 | 100 | 144 | 443 | 297 | 101 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 217 | 185 | 170 | 228 | 217 | 250 | 246 | 108 | 133 | 159 | 8 | 446 | 352 | 184 | 0 | 592 | 599 | 511 | 323 | 246 | 183 |
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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