Swanage Surf Break

Lat Long: 50.61° N 1.96° W

Swanage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 20 Jul 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Swanage sea temperature is
19.7° C
3.8° 

Swanage surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


Swanage surf forecast from 21 Jul 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Monday 27 Jul, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 5s period, WSW swell with 22 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Swanage this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Swanage in the next 16 days are 0.7m 5s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Jul 27) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Monday (Jul 27) at 4PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 1AM (Mon 27th Jul)2.5ft (0.7m) 5s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for Swanage over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

Well, folks, Rusty here. Let's be straight with you: if you're looking to paddle out at Swanage over the next few weeks, you're going to need a whole lot of patience and a very low expectation bar. The 16-day window is looking pretty grim, with barely a ripple worth mentioning.

The trouble starts now and runs right through the period. We're looking at a long, dry spell with no real surf on offer for the vast majority of the forecast. The combined swell energy barely cracks double digits, often sitting at a measly 1 to 7 (5), which is about as weak as it gets. The water is a notable 68°F, a massive 7°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that's a freakish anomaly, but it won't help the waves.

Let's walk through it. From Monday the 20th of July right through to Sunday the 2nd of August, the swell is tiny, mostly 0.3 ft, occasionally bumping up to a pathetic 1 ft or 2 ft. The period is mostly short, between 3 and 12 seconds, but with that kind of height, it's irrelevant. Winds are all over the place – cross, cross-on, cross-off, even some offshore – but it doesn't matter when there's no wave to groom. The forecast is a broken record of "poor surf conditions" and scores of 0 out of 10. There's a gap of about 13 days with absolutely nothing worth paddling for.

Then, on Monday the 3rd of August, we get a tiny glimmer. The morning shows 1 ft from the WSW with a period of 5 seconds, combined energy at 9 (9), and a fresh offshore wind from the WSW at 19 mph. The water will still be warm, but it's a baby wave for a beginner at best. The afternoon drops back to 0.3 ft. Tuesday the 4th of August morning brings a similar story: 1.0 ft from the WSW, period 4 seconds, energy at 6 (6), and a strong cross-off breeze. The breaks are "rarely breaks" and "very sheltered" from the swell, so it's a real long shot. Honestly, for a proper surfer, this setup is more interesting for a kite than a paddle.

If you're a total beginner, maybe, just maybe, you could sit on a foamie on the 3rd or 4th of August morning, but don't expect to get wet. For the rest of us, it's a blank run. But it's Swanage – this is pretty normal for the area. It tends not to stay this poor for long, and forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it, but don't hold your breath.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Tue afternoon, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Light rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Warm (max 23°C on Fri afternoon, min 16°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu night, fresh winds from the WSW by Sat afternoon).

Mon
20
Tuesday
21
Wednesday
22
Thursday
23
Friday
24
Saturday
25
Sunday
26
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.1
W
12
0.1
W
8
0.1
W
8
0.1
W
11
0.1
W
10
0.1
W
10
0.1
W
10
0.4
SE
3
0.4
SE
3
0.1
W
9
0.2
SSE
3
0.1
W
8
0.1
W
8
0.3
WSW
3
0.1
W
8
0.1
W
8
0.1
W
8
0.4
WSW
4
0.1
W
8
0.7
WSW
5
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
3
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
7
1
22
Wind (km/h)
10
S
10
SW
10
ENE
15
SW
10
WSW
15
NE
15
SE
15
SE
15
SE
20
S
5
SSW
10
SW
20
SW
10
NNW
15
WSW
25
WSW
30
WSW
25
NNW
25
W
25
NW
Wind State
cross
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
High Tide
4:25PM0.97m
00:38AM1.16m
1:33PM1.03m
1:32AM1.00m
3:13PM0.98m
3:19AM0.88m
5:00PM1.00m
5:14AM0.88m
5:47PM1.05m
6:09AM0.93m
6:28PM1.11m
6:52AM0.99m
7:06PM1.19m
Low Tide
8:32PM0.44m
8:52AM0.27m
4:19PM0.95m
9:22PM0.55m
9:39AM0.44m
10:34PM0.63m
10:52AM0.57m
00:41AM0.60m
12:56PM0.59m
1:51AM0.49m
2:00PM0.52m
2:34AM0.37m
2:42PM0.43m
3:10AM0.26m
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
light rain
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:18
5:20
5:20
5:22
5:24
5:24
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
9:08
9:07
9:07
9:06
9:04
9:02
9:01
 mm
2
Temp °C
20
18
21
22
22
21
20
19
19
20
20
22
23
22
21
22
17
21
23
18
Feels °C
17
15
20
19
19
19
18
18
18
17
18
18
19
20
17
18
14
17
18
11
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
Map placeholder
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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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