Surf Forecasts:
Swanage surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 26 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 6s period, SW swell with 359 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Swanage this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Swanage in the next 16 days are 2.1m 6s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 26) at 1PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.9m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Wed 26th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Swanage over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right. Well. Looking at the whole 16-day window for the Swanage area, I gotta be straight with you - it's a lean stretch. Swanage is a very sheltered spot, and it’s a rare break that only comes alive under the right conditions. We’ve got a lot of days with barely a ripple and some pretty ordinary conditions to sit through before we see anything remotely rideable.
The first real chance of a wave that’s actually worth paddling out for doesn’t come until late in the month. There’s a solid two-week gap from now, starting the 19th, where it’s just flat or junk. Small waves and poor surf are the story until the 26th, when we finally get a pulse of energy. That's a long wait.
We do get a spike of swell around the 26th and 27th, with the combined energy hitting moderate levels (176) and then ramping up fast to 401. But for a long while, it's mostly a case of waiting and watching. The standout in this whole period, if you can call it that, is going to be the morning of the 27th of August. We’ve got a clean 5ft swell from the southwest, with light offshore winds and a clean surface. That’s the pick of the bunch - it’s surfable, and the conditions are about as good as we’ll see.
For the real experts, the morning of the 31st of August offers a bigger south-west swell, pushing 8ft, with a moderate offshore wind. That’s big enough to be fun for the experienced crew, but likely too much for beginners. The combined energy is strong at 515, so there's some grunt in the water, even if it’s not the most perfect period.
Later on, the 1st of September has some decent south-west groundswell energy (5ft to 6ft) with a longer period (10 seconds) and clean offshore winds. The combined energy on the morning of the 1st hits 666, which is strong. It'll be clean with the offshore flow. There’s some promise there, but it’s a long way out, so you’d be keeping an eye on it.
To be honest, if you're a paddle surfer, this is a tough forecast. The sheltered nature of the spot and the mainly fresh cross-shore winds for the bigger pulses make it look more like something for the kite crew on a few of those days rather than a classic surfing session.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Warm (max 21°C on Wed afternoon, min 12°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Thu morning, calm by Fri morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSW on Sat afternoon, fresh winds from the E by Mon morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 8 | WSW 4 | S 15 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | E 4 | E 4 | ESE 4 | S 14 | E 4 | ESE 5 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | W 8 | WSW 3 | W 11 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 36 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | off | off | off | off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | off |
High Tide | 12:32PM1.11m | 00:41AM1.03m | 1:16PM0.98m | 1:28AM0.87m | 5:02PM0.89m | 5:56AM0.83m | 5:56PM0.96m | 6:31AM0.89m | 6:30PM1.05m | 7:00AM0.97m | 7:00PM1.16m | 7:28AM1.05m | 7:28PM1.26m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:37PM0.52m | 8:50AM0.52m | 9:27PM0.63m | 9:38AM0.65m | 11:44PM0.68m | 12:36PM0.69m | 1:41AM0.55m | 1:46PM0.58m | 2:17AM0.41m | 2:22PM0.48m | 2:47AM0.28m | 2:53PM0.38m | 3:15AM0.15m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  | | | |  | | | | | | | |  |  | | | | |
 | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — |
 | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — |
mm | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 7 | 1 | 4 |
Temp °C | 19 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | — | S 15 | — | — | WSW 6 | SW 6 | — | WSW 3 | WSW 5 | WSW 10 | W 10 | ESE 5 | ESE 4 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | E 6 | E 5 | E 4 | W 8 |
| kJ | 1 | — | 5 | — | — | 39 | 9 | — | 1 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 106 | 11 | 1 | 1 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | — | WSW 6 | W 10 | — | W 6 | W 9 | W 9 | S 14 | — | — | W 9 | W 8 | — | W 11 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 16 | 8 | — | 3 | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 2 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | S 15 | — | — | S 14 | S 14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | — | — | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | N 3 | NNE 3 | WSW 6 | — | E 4 | E 4 | ESE 4 | — | E 4 | ESE 5 | E 6 | E 7 | — | NNW 3 | WSW 3 | SSW 4 |
| kJ | 12 | 47 | 100 | 77 | 202 | 2 | 4 | 24 | — | 16 | 13 | 2 | — | 14 | 36 | 164 | 278 | — | 1 | 3 | 8 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 226 | 578 | 246 | 224 | 511 | 12 | 155 | 108 | 154 | 154 | 319 | 186 | 250 | 250 | 186 | 503 | 327 | 306 | 217 | 252 | 159 |
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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