
Surf Forecasts:
The Breakwater-St Ives surf forecast from 5 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 10s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 12 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period, W swell with 176 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 10s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Breakwater-St Ives this week:
The surf forecast for The Breakwater-St Ives over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 6s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Breakwater-St Ives in the next 16 days are 1.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.6m 5s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Breakwater-St Ives over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for the St Ives area. Honestly, it’s a pretty grim stretch ahead. The Breakwater-St Ives is the only spot on the cards, and for the first week and a half, there’s barely a whisper of a decent wave. The surf is small, choppy, and the wind is all over the shop. You’ll be waiting a long time for anything rideable.
The first real chance doesn’t show up until Wednesday, the 12th of August. The morning brings a tiny 3ft swell from the west, with a period of 9 seconds, and the wind is offshore from the SSW, leaving the surface clean. The combined energy is weak though, at 176. It’s surfable, but very ordinary. The afternoon sees a stiff cross-offshore breeze, so it’s not getting any better.
Thursday, the 13th of August, has a bit more size. The morning has 6ft from the west, with an 8-second period, and a clean cross-offshore wind. The energy is moderate at 422. That’s the pick of the whole run, but it’s still only a marginal call. The afternoon turns ugly with a cross-onshore wind and chop. Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th are all poor conditions or fresh offshore winds with tiny swell.
Then on Sunday, the 16th of August, the swell jumps up to 7ft from the west, but it’s 8-second period and cross-onshore, so it’s choppy and messy, with a strong energy of 544. That’s not for the faint-hearted. The rest of the run into the third week is all small, clean, or clean-ish, but the swell is barely ankle-high, with energy dropping below 100. The wind stays fresh, mostly cross-offshore, but there’s nothing to push you into a wave.
So, the standout, if you can call it that, is the morning of Thursday, 13th August at The Breakwater-St Ives. It’s a point break, inconsistent, and crowds are possible. The water is sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. The 6ft west swell with a moderate 8-second period and clean offshore wind is the only window where you’ll get a wave with a bit of push and a clean face. The rest is a write-off until the very end, and even then, it’s tiny.
There’s a long gap of nearly 10 days with no real surf on offer. It’s a tough block for the area. Conditions can change, but right now, I’d be checking the other spots inland.
- Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed morning, min 15°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Wed morning, calm by Thu night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat afternoon, min 18°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 5 | Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 7 | W 7 | WNW 6 | WNW 6 | W 5 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 7 | SW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 12 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
381 | 200 | 155 | 74 | 29 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 6 | 11 | 31 | 16 | 25 | 34 | 45 | 79 | 35 | 22 | 19 | 12 | 102 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off |
High Tide | 10:01AM5.18m | 10:25PM5.19m | 10:53AM4.93m | 11:23PM4.89m | 11:59AM4.70m | 00:38AM4.66m | 1:20PM4.63m | 2:03AM4.65m | 2:43PM4.82m | 3:21AM4.90m | 3:53PM5.21m | 4:25AM5.26m | 4:50PM5.66m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:20PM1.08m | 4:50AM1.17m | 5:15PM1.34m | 5:50AM1.44m | 6:26PM1.56m | 7:09AM1.61m | 7:54PM1.58m | 8:36AM1.53m | 9:20PM1.33m | 9:53AM1.21m | 10:29PM0.91m | 10:53AM0.80m | 11:25PM0.47m | ||||||||
5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | |
— | 8:59 | — | — | 8:57 | — | — | 8:55 | — | — | 8:53 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:49 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 21 | 22 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 21 | 22 | 19 |
Feels °C | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 20 | 21 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 20 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 13 | SW 13 | W 11 | WNW 6 | W 5 | WNW 5 | W 5 | W 9 | W 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 7 | SW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | W 10 |
7 | 7 | 9 | 74 | 29 | 9 | 5 | 15 | 6 | 11 | 31 | 11 | 25 | 34 | 45 | 79 | 35 | 22 | 19 | 11 | 102 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 13 | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | W 9 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | WNW 5 | WSW 6 | W 10 | W 9 | SW 6 |
— | — | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 13 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | N 5 | SW 12 | SW 12 | W 5 | SW 11 | SE 4 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 6 | W 10 | SW 6 | W 12 | SW 12 |
— | — | 7 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 7 | W 7 | WNW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSE 3 | — | — | WNW 4 | WNW 5 | — | — | — | — | SE 3 | SE 5 |
381 | 200 | 155 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 5 | 9 | — | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 739 | 215 | 215 | 14 | 406 | 508 | 392 | 406 | 376 | 21 | 21 | 15 | 15 | 24 | 10 | 2 | 14 | 15 | 392 | 194 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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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.











