Surf Forecasts:
Swanage surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 8s period, WSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, WSW swell with 1,599 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 29 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 8s 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 Saturday (Aug 29) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 2.5m and 8s 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 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.0m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (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 be straight with you – Swanage is going through a real quiet spell. Most of the next 16 days are looking flat or tiny, and the wind is often messy. There’s a bit of a pulse towards the end of August and into early September, but it’s not the sort of thing that’s going to get the blood pumping hard. We’ve got a long stretch of nothing much on the table, so keep your expectations low.
We start the forecast period on Sunday, the 23rd of August. Right now, it’s flat. A tiny 0.3ft ripple from the south with a light ENE breeze. The water is a very warm 69°F, which is a massive 7°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s really unusual, you won’t need a thick suit. But honestly, there’s no surf to enjoy it with.
Monday the 24th is a write-off. Strong east winds gusting to 25 mph keep things blown out and tiny. The swell barely gets to 1ft. Tuesday the 25th offers a little bump from the east, 5ft, but the period is a gutless 6 seconds, so it’s just messy, weak, and full of wind. The combined energy is only 141 (moderate), but it’s not surfable. Avoid it.
We then have a gap with nothing worthwhile until the 27th of August. On Thursday the 27th afternoon, there’s a slight improvement – 4ft from the southwest with a 7-second period and clean cross-off winds. The energy is 156 (moderate), but it’s still not a standout. Friday the 28th is a write-off with thunderstorms and choppy conditions.
The first real punch of swell comes on Saturday, the 29th of August. The morning shows 7ft from the southwest, period of 9 seconds, with a fresh cross-off breeze. The combined energy jumps to 580 (strong). That’s a solid, clean wave, but at 7ft, it’s a bit much for beginners and is pushing into more intermediate territory. The afternoon holds similar size but the wind gets stronger. Sunday the 30th is the biggest of this run: 7ft from the west-southwest, strong offshore winds at 25 mph. The energy is 436 (strong). This is a powerful, clean swell, but those strong offshore winds will make it tough to get out the back. It’s still the best on offer, but it’s clean and punchy. For experts, this is your window.
After that, the swell drops fast. Monday the 31st of August down to 2ft, and by Tuesday the 1st of September it’s a glassy 0.7ft – a beautiful morning for a paddle, but no waves. The next highlight is a bit of a wait. On Friday, the 4th of September, we get another pulse: 7ft from the southwest, period of 6 seconds, with a moderate offshore wind. The energy is 374 (strong). It’s a bit of a short-period swell, so it’ll be a bit dumpy and won’t have the same shape as the late August swell. It’s surfable, but not a classic.
The last big shout comes on Monday, the 7th of September. The swell jumps to a solid 10ft from the southwest, with a 9-second period and strong offshore winds at 28 mph. The combined energy hits 1325 (very strong). This is big, powerful, and clean. However, at 10ft, this is strictly for experts only. The strong offshore will make paddling into them a real battle. It’s a spectacular sight, but you’ll need to be on your game.
So, the real standout here is the 29th of August through to the 30th of August. The 7ft to 7ft southwest swell with clean or offshore winds gives the best combination of size and quality. The 7th of September is bigger but only for the brave. The rest of the period is mostly flat, with small, weak, or wind-affected waves. Crowds are possible at Swanage, but with this kind of forecast, the beach should be quiet.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 15°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the E on Mon morning, light winds from the SSE by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 16mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 20°C on Wed afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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) | S 14 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | SW 10 | SW 9 | SW 9 | E 6 | ESE 5 | SW 8 | SSW 8 | SW 4 | WSW 5 | SW 5 | SW 7 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SE 5 | WSW 8 | SW 9 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
4 | 8 | 49 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 134 | 43 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 156 | 142 | 67 | 3 | 832 | 580 | 363 | 346 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:30PM1.05m | 7:00AM0.97m | 7:00PM1.16m | 7:28AM1.05m | 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 | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:46PM0.58m | 2:17AM0.41m | 2:22PM0.48m | 2:47AM0.28m | 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 | ||||||||
6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | |
— | 8:13 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:04 | — | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | 4 | 4 | — | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 15 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | SW 14 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 9 | SW 8 | E 4 | SSW 8 | SW 4 | SE 3 | ESE 4 | SW 7 | SW 9 | SW 8 | SE 5 | — | — | — | — |
2 | 8 | 19 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 156 | 142 | 67 | 3 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 14 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | W 11 | W 13 | SW 8 | E 4 | SW 7 | WSW 5 | — | — | — | SE 5 | — | — | — | — | — |
4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 9 | W 8 | — | W 9 | — | SW 7 | — | — | — | S 5 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | E 6 | E 6 | E 7 | E 6 | ESE 5 | — | SW 3 | — | — | SW 5 | — | — | SSW 5 | SW 5 | WSW 8 | SW 9 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 |
1 | 6 | 49 | 239 | 335 | 342 | 134 | 43 | — | 4 | — | — | 74 | — | — | 14 | 68 | 832 | 580 | 363 | 346 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 186 | 209 | 186 | 505 | 348 | 222 | 100 | 280 | 228 | 217 | 245 | 234 | 179 | 55 | 109 | 141 | 8 | 0 | 372 | 446 | 594 |
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.











