Surf Forecasts:
The Breakwater-St Ives surf forecast from 28 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 4PM (local time) - 11ft (3.5m), 10s period, WSW swell with 2,247 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Breakwater-St Ives this week:
The most powerful waves expected at The Breakwater-St Ives in the next 16 days are 3.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.5m 8s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 29) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Sat 29th Aug) | 11ft (3.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Breakwater-St Ives over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, grab a brew and let's have a look at what's on the cards for The Breakwater-St Ives over the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, mate, the outlook is a tough one. We've got energy coming through, but the wind is going to be a real bastard for most of it, keeping things messy. The water temp is sitting pretty average for the time of year, nothing out of the ordinary there.
The first bit of action worth talking about is Saturday the 29th of August. Overnight and into the morning, a solid 8 ft SW swell rolls in, but it's getting hammered by a near gale-force wind (37 mph) from the SW. The combined energy is moderate at 574, but it's just too blown out to bother with. By the afternoon, the swell pushes up to 12 ft from the WSW with a combined energy of 2575—that's strong energy—but a 28 mph cross-shore wind is making a right mess of things with chop. That's for experts only, and even then, it looks more like a kite-surfing session than a paddle surf.
Sunday the 30th is more of the same. A 6 ft to 8 ft WSW swell with fresh breezes and cross-off winds. The energy sits in the 592 to 734 range (moderate), but the quality is poor to marginal at best.
Now, Monday the 31st sees a 10 ft W swell with 10-second periods and strong energy (1454), but it’s a fresh cross-onshore. That’s lumpy and blown out. Not one for the log.
The real standout, and the only one I'd genuinely get excited about, is Friday the 4th of September. Friday morning, we get a 7 ft W swell with a 13-second period—that’s groundswell, proper long-period energy. The combined energy is strong at 1339. The wind is a 22 mph cross-off from the WSW. That's clean. At a point break like The Breakwater-St Ives, this long-period groundswell should wrap in nicely, offering some proper shape. It's inconsistent here though, so don't expect a wave every minute, but when the sets come through, they'll have some punch. The crowds are rated as *sometimes* busy, so keep your eyes peeled. It's a call for intermediate to experienced surfers. The afternoon sees the wind turn cross-shore and go lumpy, so make the most of the morning.
The following week, starting the 9th of September, the wind goes nuts again. We’ve got 8 ft to 10 ft swells on the 9th and 10th, but both days are smashed by near gale-force winds from the WSW. By the 11th and 12th, the swell drops right off to under 3 ft, and we’re back to small, choppy conditions with strong cross-onshore winds. Not worth the drive.
To be blunt, the 16-day window is pretty grim. Friday morning the 4th of September is your one true shot at a decent wave. The rest of it is a write-off due to wind and mess. Forecasts can change, but right now, keep your expectations low.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastHeavy rain (total 22mm), heaviest during Sat morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Fri morning, min 16°C on Sun night). Mainly strong winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Winds increasing (light winds from the WNW on Mon night, fresh winds from the SW by Wed afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 6 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WSW 6 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
26 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 2247 | 761 | 524 | 751 | 1586 | 1495 | 1092 | 501 | 220 | 165 | 103 | 29 | 0 | 915 | 790 | 629 | 484 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:15PM5.85m | 6:32AM5.73m | 6:47PM6.04m | 7:04AM5.88m | 7:20PM6.12m | 7:37AM5.93m | 7:54PM6.08m | 8:12AM5.86m | 8:31PM5.90m | 8:50AM5.66m | 9:11PM5.59m | 9:34AM5.35m | 9:59PM5.18m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:18PM0.52m | 00:39AM0.35m | 12:50PM0.32m | 1:11AM0.20m | 1:23PM0.23m | 1:43AM0.18m | 1:56PM0.26m | 2:17AM0.29m | 2:31PM0.40m | 2:52AM0.51m | 3:10PM0.66m | 3:33AM0.84m | 3:55PM1.01m | ||||||||
6:28 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | |
— | 8:15 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:02 | — | |
mm | — | — | 7 | 7 | — | — | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 19 |
Feels °C | 14 | 13 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 6 | — | WSW 9 | — | — | — | — | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | WNW 14 |
26 | 7 | 12 | 6 | — | 761 | — | — | — | — | 1092 | 501 | 220 | 165 | 103 | 29 | 23 | 21 | 44 | 60 | 220 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 11 | — | — | NNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | N 5 | N 4 | SW 17 | SW 16 | SSW 16 | — | — | — | — | SW 15 |
5 | 5 | 5 | — | — | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 25 | — | — | — | — | 37 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 18 | SW 18 | — | S 11 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 12 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | SSW 8 | WSW 10 | — | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | W 9 | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | WSW 5 | WSW 6 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 |
88 | 177 | 126 | 865 | 2247 | — | 524 | 751 | 1586 | 1495 | — | — | — | — | — | 28 | 176 | 915 | 790 | 629 | 484 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 248 | 278 | 192 | 340 | 159 | 74 | 73 | 409 | 248 | 556 | 164 | 1 | 1 | 215 | 214 | 215 | 502 | 214 | 214 | 224 | 214 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
Information about the The Breakwater-St Ives Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for The Breakwater-St Ives provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Breakwater-St Ives can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Breakwater-St Ives 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 (The Breakwater-St Ives) 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 The Breakwater-St Ives 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.
The Breakwater-St Ives is 11 km (7 miles) from Camborne. If you plan a holiday in North Cornwall, look for hotels and other accommodation in Camborne. Camborne has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











