Surf Forecasts:
Swanage surf forecast from 21 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 7s period, SSW swell with 529 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Swanage this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Swanage in the next 16 days are 2.3m 7s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.1m 7s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Swanage over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it’s Rusty here. Grab a cuppa and let’s talk about the next couple of weeks for Swanage.
Honestly, it’s a bleak start. From now through the end of August, the swell is tiny, the wind is all over the place, and the conditions are just plain poor. We’re looking at a solid stretch of nothing really rideable until the very end of the forecast. There’s a long gap of surf that’s just not worth paddling out for, which is a bit of a bummer.
The only real window of hope shows up on Thursday, the 3rd of September. That morning, the wind goes glassy, and a 6ft swell from the SW pushes in. The combined energy of all swells is moderate (261), so there’s some proper push behind it. The break is Swanage, and it’s a very sheltered spot that rarely breaks, so seeing this much energy is a notable event. The water is much warmer than normal for this time of year, clocking in at 69°. That glassy morning will be the best on offer, giving you clean, surfable waves. The afternoon gets a bit of a cross-off breeze, but it’s still clean, just not as good as the morning.
Friday the 4th of September sees a drop off to 4ft from the WSW in the morning, but with a light cross-onshore wind, it’s not as good. The afternoon cleans up but the size drops to 3ft. After that, it’s back to small, clean conditions with little to no energy until the end of the forecast.
So, the standout is that Thursday morning, the 3rd of September. Get on it if you can, because the rest of the window is a waiting game.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Fri morning, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 17°C on Mon morning). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the E on Mon afternoon, calm by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | |||||||||||||||
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) | SW 6 | SW 9 | WSW 6 | ENE 4 | SW 10 | W 10 | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | E 6 | SW 10 | SW 9 | E 5 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 8 | W 9 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 9 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 26 | 227 | 4 | 3 | 97 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 127 | 71 | 54 | 28 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | off | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | on | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 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 | 7:55AM1.13m | 7:55PM1.37m | 8:21AM1.22m | 8:22PM1.46m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 3:22PM0.30m | 3:44AM0.04m | 3:53PM0.23m | |||||||||
 |  |  |  | |  |  | |  | | |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — |
 | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:09 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:06 | — | — | 8:04 | — |
mm | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 18 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 6 | SW 9 | WSW 6 | WSW 5 | E 4 | — | W 9 | SW 14 | SW 11 | SW 10 | SW 10 | SW 9 | SW 9 | E 5 | SW 8 | SW 8 | W 9 | — | SSE 4 | S 5 | SW 8 |
| kJ | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | — | 2 | 8 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 2 | — | 15 | 16 | 28 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 9 | NE 4 | SW 8 | W 10 | SW 10 | W 10 | S 14 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | W 9 | SW 8 | E 4 | — | W 7 | — | — | W 8 | — |
| kJ | 8 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 11 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | 6 | — |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | S 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SE 4 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 3 | SW 6 | N 3 | ENE 4 | — | — | ESE 4 | ESE 4 | ESE 5 | E 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 5 | — | — | SSW 2 | S 4 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 7 | W 5 |
| kJ | 2 | 9 | 2 | 13 | — | — | 6 | 6 | 26 | 227 | 384 | 389 | 97 | — | — | 1 | 41 | 127 | 71 | 54 | 60 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 155 | 108 | 136 | 154 | 271 | 155 | 217 | 209 | 186 | 570 | 246 | 261 | 246 | 235 | 186 | 117 | 136 | 8 | 338 | 338 | 323 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Coast of England | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Swanage surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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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