Surf Forecasts:
Swanage surf forecast from 29 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 30 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period, SW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, SW swell with 1,463 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 30 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 9s period with SW 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 Sunday (Aug 30) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.8m and 9s 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 9s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 6s period and expected on Thursday (Sep 03) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Sun 30th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Swanage over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's get straight into it for Swanage. The forecast is a bit of a heartbreaker, so I'll be honest with you.
Plain and simple, there's not a single window in this 16-day stretch that looks good for a proper surf. The guidance calls it a "rarely breaks" spot, and this forecast is a prime example of why. We're looking at a long, frustrating gap right from the start. The first few days are a write-off, and honestly, the whole outlook is a struggle.
Kicking off on Saturday, August 29th, we've got a massive 10 ft south-west swell arriving in the afternoon, but it's absolutely howling with a 28 mph cross-off wind. The raw energy is huge – up at 1075 – but it's going to be a complete washing machine. Not for paddling. If you're a kiter, maybe you'd be interested, but for a surfboard, forget it. The water temperature is 69°, which is a whopping 7° warmer than usual for this time of year – that's really unusual, and it'll feel like a warm bath.
Sunday the 30th sees that swell drop to 5 ft, but the wind is still a messy cross-off at 15-22 mph. It's a step down in size but still a no-go.
Monday the 31st brings a 6 ft swell from the west-south-west, and the wind finally swings offshore from the west at 19 mph. The energy is a moderate 497, but that cross-off wind earlier in the day ruins it. The afternoon does get a clean offshore breeze, but the swell has dropped to just 3 ft. It's a tease.
From Tuesday, September 1st right through to the end of the forecast on the 13th of September, the story is almost all tiny, weak, or non-existent surf. We get a few flickers of life, like on Tuesday, September 8th with a 3 ft swell and a gentle offshore wind, but the energy is only 107. It's a paddling session at best. Everything else is waves under 2 ft and periods of 4-7 seconds, just wind chop. Even the 16-second period swell on the 13th of September is too small (0.3 ft) to do anything with.
Honestly, if you're looking to get wet, the best bet is to wait for a new forecast. As it stands, this is about as bleak as it gets. The spot is living up to its "rarely breaks" reputation.
Rusty, signing off.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 13mm), heaviest on Sat morning. Warm (max 20°C on Sat afternoon, min 15°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (near gales from the SW on Sat morning, light winds from the WSW by Mon night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Tue morning, fresh winds from the W by Thu night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SSW 6 | SW 8 | WSW 9 | SW 9 | SW 5 | WSW 7 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | SW 7 | SW 3 | WSW 5 | SW 5 | SW 6 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | S 14 | WSW 9 | WSW 5 | WSW 9 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 0 | 1075 | 820 | 300 | 0 | 656 | 497 | 103 | 94 | 26 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 252 | 458 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 9 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:20PM1.59m | 9:45AM1.43m | 9:52PM1.60m | 10:18AM1.46m | 10:27PM1.58m | 10:52AM1.45m | 11:04PM1.51m | 11:30AM1.40m | 11:45PM1.39m | 12:12PM1.30m | 4:51PM0.75m | 00:31AM1.22m | 5:18AM0.72m | 1:03PM1.16m | 1:32AM1.03m | ||||||
Low Tide | 4:59PM0.16m | 5:20AM-0.11m | 5:35PM0.16m | 5:55AM-0.07m | 6:13PM0.18m | 6:33AM0.01m | 6:53PM0.24m | 7:14AM0.12m | 7:37PM0.31m | 7:59AM0.26m | 4:12PM0.75m | 8:27PM0.39m | 4:34AM0.71m | 4:49PM0.80m | 9:30PM0.46m | ||||||
 |  |  |  |  |  | | | |  | | |  | |  | | | | | |  | |
 | 6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — |
 | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:55 | — | — | 7:53 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:46 | — |
mm | 9 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 16 |
Feels °C | 11 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | SW 7 | — | WSW 5 | — | — | — | — | — | S 14 | WSW 9 | — | WSW 9 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 103 | 94 | 26 | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | 7 | — | 9 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 14 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 6 | SW 8 | WSW 9 | SW 9 | SW 5 | WSW 7 | WSW 9 | WSW 6 | NNW 3 | — | SW 3 | WSW 5 | SW 5 | SW 6 | WSW 7 | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 | WSW 5 |
| kJ | 235 | 1075 | 820 | 300 | 117 | 656 | 497 | 72 | 1 | — | 8 | 37 | 67 | 252 | 458 | 111 | 98 | 119 | 37 | 99 | 37 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 443 | 398 | 178 | 110 | 183 | 732 | 320 | 302 | 12 | 109 | 55 | 246 | 467 | 597 | 246 | 246 | 801 | 329 | 467 | 320 | 137 |
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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