Swanage Surf Break

Lat Long: 50.61° N 1.96° W

Swanage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 6 pm 15 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Swanage sea temperature is
20.7° C
3.9° 

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


Swanage surf forecast from 15 Aug 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Sunday 23 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 6s period, E swell with 78 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 Sunday (Aug 23) 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 1.3m 5s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 4PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 1AM (Sun 23rd Aug)3.5ft (1.1m) 6s

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


The Lowdown

Gutted to be the bearer of bad news here, but the next couple of weeks are looking properly flat and grim for this stretch of coast. We’ve got a real dry spell on the surf front, with nothing on the cards that’s worth paddling out for. The swell window is just shut, and what little energy does show up is either too small, too short-period, or gets chopped up by the wind. It’s a tough stretch, but that’s the way it goes sometimes around here.

Looking at the whole 16-day run, there isn’t a single moment I’d honestly recommend you get wet for a proper surf. We start off this Saturday the 15th with a tiny 1ft of swell out of the WSW at 7 seconds, and it’s just not doing anything. The water’s a warm 69°, which is a good six and a half degrees warmer than it should be this time of year—that’s properly unusual, like a warm bath out there. But the waves? Nothing. It’s clean, sure, with a light offshore wind, but it’s just small and weak, with the combined energy only reading a paltry 11.

The whole first week just keeps that pattern going. Sunday the 16th is marginally smaller, Monday and Tuesday are basically flat with the swell dropping to less than a foot, and even when the wind goes properly offshore through the middle of the week, there’s just no swell to push. It’s heartbreaking, really. We see a little blip on Saturday the 22nd with the swell bumping to 3ft from the east at 5 seconds, but the wind is onshore and it’s messy, with weak energy at 36. That’s not surf, that’s just chop.

There’s a long stretch of nothing from about the 23rd through the 27th, all with poor surf conditions, and mostly onshore or cross-onshore winds. The end of the run, around the 28th and 29th, finally sees a bit more size—4ft and then 4ft—but it’s still short-period, east-southeast windswell, and the wind is all wrong. The 29th has the most energy we’ll see (101), which is only just into the moderate category, but it’s onshore and bumpy. It’s not worth the drive.

Honestly, for the first week, the only thing even worth a glance is maybe a quick body-surf session on Saturday the 15th if you’re desperate, just because the water is warm and the surface is clean. But there’s no wave to speak of. The wind and the lack of swell mean the water is going to be flat and featureless for days on end. If you’ve got a kite and it’s blowing, you might get more fun out of that, because the paddle surfing is a total write-off.

Rusty

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sat afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 5-7 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 24°C on Tue afternoon, min 15°C on Wed night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Wed afternoon, light winds from the E by Fri morning).

Sat
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
Thursday
20
Friday
21
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)
0.3
WSW
7
0.2
WSW
8
0.2
WSW
8
0.1
SW
7
0.1
W
7
0.3
W
5
0.7
WSW
3
0.1
W
9
0.1
W
9
1.3
WSW
5
0.9
WSW
6
0.1
W
8
0.9
WSW
4
0.1
S
15
0.2
W
9
1.1
WSW
5
0.7
WSW
5
0.1
SW
9
0.1
SW
9
0.2
WSW
9
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
11
6
6
2
1
4
0
2
2
0
47
1
0
5
6
0
20
3
3
8
Wind (km/h)
10
WSW
15
NE
10
ENE
15
SSW
20
NW
10
WNW
25
WSW
15
WNW
25
W
25
WSW
15
NW
20
WNW
30
WSW
20
WNW
20
W
20
WSW
15
NNW
10
NNE
10
WSW
25
ENE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-on
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
off
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
off
on
High Tide
10:12PM1.60m
10:42AM1.36m
10:49PM1.49m
11:18AM1.30m
11:26PM1.35m
11:55AM1.22m
00:03AM1.19m
12:32PM1.11m
00:41AM1.03m
1:16PM0.98m
1:28AM0.87m
5:02PM0.89m
Low Tide
5:57PM0.08m
6:20AM-0.18m
6:37PM0.16m
6:58AM-0.01m
7:17PM0.28m
7:35AM0.17m
7:56PM0.40m
8:12AM0.36m
8:37PM0.52m
8:50AM0.52m
9:27PM0.63m
9:38AM0.65m
11:44PM0.68m
clear
part cloud
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
cloud
part cloud
part cloud
part cloud
clear
clear
cloud
cloud
part cloud
clear
part cloud
rain showers
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:56
5:56
5:58
6:00
6:01
6:03
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:28
8:25
8:24
8:22
8:21
8:19
8:16
 mm
2
Temp °C
26
24
21
22
20
22
24
19
22
24
19
20
20
16
18
19
19
19
19
18
Feels °C
25
21
21
20
16
20
20
16
20
20
15
15
15
11
14
16
17
17
18
15
  • 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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