Swanage Surf Break

Lat Long: 50.61° N 1.96° W

Swanage Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 am 04 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's Swanage sea temperature is
20.3° C
3.8° 

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


Swanage surf forecast from 4 Aug 2026:

  • Most powerful swell: Wednesday 5 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 6s period, WSW swell with 209 kJ wave energy.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Swanage this week:

The most powerful waves expected at Swanage in the next 16 days are 1.6m 6s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 05) 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 1.7m 6s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 05) at 4PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+)--
Best Surf--
Most Powerful 7PM (Wed 5th Aug)5ft (1.6m) 6s

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


The Lowdown

Well, folks, it’s Rusty here, and I gotta be straight with you. If you’re looking for waves in the Swanage zone over the next couple of weeks, you’re gonna be looking at a whole lot of flat, mushy nothing. The forecast is a grim one, with next to no rideable surf on the horizon. We’ve got a long stretch of not much happening for the first week or so, and even when the swell tries to show up, it’s just not got the power or the direction to make anything of itself.

Right out of the gate, Monday the 3rd is a write-off. We're talking a tiny 1ft of southwest swell, but with a light cross breeze chopping it up, it’s just a mess. There's no energy to it either, only 18 on the combined scale. Moving into Tuesday and Wednesday, the wind swings offshore, which is nice, and the water is clean, but the swell just isn't there. Wednesday morning shows 4ft of short-period, 6-second windswell, but it’s all mush and no push. The energy ticks up to 122, which sounds better than it is, but with that period, it’s just not going to break with any sort of power. The rest of that first week is a dead loss, with swells under 1ft and light, messy winds.

We’ve got a completely flat run from Thursday the 6th through to Monday the 10th. Unless you want to practice your paddling, it’s not worth getting wet. The water temperature on Monday the 3rd is sitting at 69°F, which is a massive 7°F warmer than usual for this time of year. That’s odd and worth a mention, but it won't help you catch a wave.

The middle of the month brings a bit of a pulse, but it’s a cruel tease. On Wednesday the 12th, we finally see some energy, with a combined reading of 64, but the swell is a weak 3ft from the ESE, and it’s still not enough to get the bank at Swanage breaking properly. Friday the 14th sees a bit of a bump with a 2ft west swell and fresh offshore winds, but it’s still not doing anything for me. All of this is showing up as "poor surf conditions" and that’s exactly what it is.

Then there’s Saturday the 15th. This is the one day that might have some life. The morning shows 4ft of WSW swell, an 8-second period, and a combined energy of 238 – that’s the strongest signal in the whole two weeks. We’ve got fresh offshore winds (30 km/h) and clean conditions, so it might be worth a look for the more experienced crew. But this is Swanage, and it’s a sheltered, inconsistent spot that rarely breaks. Even with a bit of size, it’s going to be a fat, crumbly close-out, and that 4ft is right at the top of what it can handle before it gets messy. The period is only 8 seconds, so it’s not a proper groundswell. After that, it’s back to the flatness. The rest of the window is nothing but tiny swell and onshore winds, right through to Tuesday the 18th.

So, here’s the deal. There’s no standout day here, unless you’re desperate and want to scratch around on Saturday the 15th. Even then, keep your expectations at the bottom of the ocean. The setup looks a whole lot more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer for most of this period, especially with those stronger onshore winds. We’ve got a long blank run, which is more normal for this area when the swell direction is all wrong. It’s a frustrating outlook, but that’s the game. We wait, we watch, and we hope the forecasts change.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Mostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon night, min 14°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Mon night, fresh winds from the WSW by Tue night).

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Mostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Sun afternoon, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light.

Tuesday
4
Wednesday
5
Thursday
6
Friday
7
Saturday
8
Sunday
9
Monday
10
AM
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
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.6
WSW
8
0.9
SW
4
1.3
WSW
5
1.3
WSW
6
1.7
WSW
6
1.1
WSW
6
0.8
WSW
5
1.3
WSW
5
0.7
WSW
5
0.3
WSW
5
0.1
W
10
0.4
WSW
4
0.2
WSW
4
0.4
SW
3
0.3
WSW
3
0.1
W
8
0.1
SW
7
0.2
WSW
6
0.2
WSW
6
0.2
WSW
6
0.3
W
3
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
43
0
0
122
0
96
0
0
23
5
2
6
1
0
2
1
2
4
4
3
2
Wind (km/h)
25
SW
25
SW
30
SW
30
W
30
WSW
25
W
25
WNW
25
WSW
20
NW
5
NNE
20
SW
15
NNW
5
NE
15
SW
10
NNW
10
NE
15
SSW
20
NNW
15
N
20
SW
15
NE
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross-off
off
off
off
off
off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
glassy
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-off
cross-on
High Tide
11:56AM1.29m
00:04AM1.38m
12:40PM1.23m
00:51AM1.24m
1:36PM1.14m
1:54AM1.09m
2:59PM1.07m
3:40AM0.98m
4:46PM1.10m
5:27AM1.02m
5:56PM1.21m
6:32AM1.12m
6:47PM1.35m
Low Tide
7:35AM0.09m
7:56PM0.40m
8:16AM0.20m
8:42PM0.47m
9:04AM0.32m
9:41PM0.52m
10:07AM0.43m
11:08PM0.53m
11:44AM0.48m
00:49AM0.41m
1:16PM0.40m
1:58AM0.20m
2:18PM0.27m
2:50AM-0.02m
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
part cloud
clear
clear
clear
clear
clear
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:37
5:39
5:41
5:41
5:43
5:45
5:47
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:47
8:45
8:45
8:43
8:40
8:39
8:37
 mm
Temp °C
20
20
18
19
20
17
18
20
17
18
19
19
21
22
21
24
26
22
24
25
23
Feels °C
18
17
15
13
13
12
12
16
12
15
14
16
18
19
17
21
21
18
22
20
21
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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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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