
Surf Forecasts:
The Breakwater-St Ives surf forecast from 8 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s period, W swell with 338 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.0m), 9s 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 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.0m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at The Breakwater-St Ives in the next 16 days are 1.2m 11s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.8m 4s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Wed 12th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.0m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 11s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Breakwater-St Ives over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s cut the crap. It’s Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for The Breakwater-St Ives, and I’ve got to be straight with you—it’s looking grim. We’ve got a solid two weeks of nothing on the cards. The models are showing flat, weak surf with poor conditions, and there isn’t a single window where I’d tell you to grab your board.
To be fair, the water is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, about 65°, so if you’re just keen for a paddle, it’s not going to be a shock to the system.
The first week is a total write-off. We’re looking at waves around 1 ft to 1 ft, with the combined energy of all swells directed here struggling to get past the 50s—that’s weak, gutless stuff. There’s no power, no push. Mornings are clean but tiny, and afternoons get a bit of a cross-onshore bump that chops it up. The period is short, around 8 to 10 seconds, so nothing’s got any shape to it.
We get a little pulse of energy mid-week on the 12th, with the swell bumping up to 3 ft and the combined energy climbing to 160, but it’s still messy and cross-off winds keep it from being anything more than a ankle-snatcher. The onshore days in between just add to the frustration.
There’s a slight increase in size on the 13th, hitting 4 ft with a period of 11 seconds, and the energy jumps to 319. But the wind is cross-on and choppy, making it a messy, bumpy 4 ft. Not worth the paddle out. From there, it just dribbles away back down to knee-high slop for the rest of the week.
The weekend of the 16th and 17th sees some west-northwest wind, but the swell drops, and the cross-onshore winds don't do us any favors. It’s all noise, no signal.
Now, heading into the second week, things get bigger but not better. We’ve got a strong breeze pushing through, and by the 22nd, the swell finally starts to show some size. We’re talking 7 ft and 8 ft with the combined energy of all swells directed here jumping to a strong 640 and then 1057. But the wind is screaming at 25-28 mph from the west, creating a messy, strong cross-shore chop. It’s a full-on washing machine.
And just when you think it can’t get worse, the 23rd throws a 10 ft swell at us, but it’s coming from the northwest, it’s onshore, and the period is only 8 seconds. That’s a wind-blown, lumpy mess. This is well into expert-only territory due to the size, but with that wind and short period, it’s not even good for them. This setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. If that’s your thing, you might be in luck.
Honestly, with The Breakwater being this inconsistent and the forecasts this poor, this blank run is just the way it goes sometimes. It tends not to stay this bad for long, and you know the forecasts can change, but right now, I’d find something else to do for the next two weeks. Save your energy for when it actually turns on.
That’s all from me. Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Sat morning, min 17°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 26°C on Wed afternoon, min 17°C on Tue night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | W 13 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
17 | 31 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 31 | 24 | 22 | 33 | 20 | 12 | 84 | 158 | 136 | 173 | 319 | 282 | 184 | 126 | 89 | 63 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross |
High Tide | 1:20PM4.63m | 2:03AM4.65m | 2:43PM4.82m | 3:21AM4.90m | 3:53PM5.21m | 4:25AM5.26m | 4:50PM5.66m | 5:18AM5.62m | 5:39PM6.05m | 6:04AM5.90m | 6:24PM6.31m | 6:47AM6.05m | 7:06PM6.40m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:54PM1.58m | 8:36AM1.53m | 9:20PM1.33m | 9:53AM1.21m | 10:29PM0.91m | 10:53AM0.80m | 11:25PM0.47m | 11:44AM0.41m | 00:13AM0.12m | 12:29PM0.13m | 00:56AM-0.08m | 1:10PM0.00m | 1:36AM-0.10m | ||||||||
5:58 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | |
— | 8:53 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:46 | — | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:43 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 21 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 25 | 26 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 19 |
Feels °C | 20 | 20 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 17 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 |
17 | 31 | 28 | 26 | 25 | 31 | 17 | 22 | 33 | 20 | 11 | 84 | 158 | 136 | 173 | 319 | 282 | 184 | 126 | 89 | 63 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 7 | WSW 6 | SSE 4 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 7 | SW 6 | SW 7 | SW 7 | N 4 | W 9 | WNW 7 | SW 6 | — | W 12 | E 5 | E 5 | E 5 | S 13 | S 13 | SW 13 |
2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 1 | — | 76 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 7 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | SW 11 | WSW 7 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WNW 8 | W 11 | W 11 | SW 6 | W 13 | SW 6 | SW 6 | — | SSE 4 | — | S 11 | S 11 | S 13 | — | S 10 |
1 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | 2 | 2 | 3 | — | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 3 | SE 4 | — | — | — | NW 3 | — | NW 5 | N 4 | SE 2 | SE 4 | ESE 6 | ESE 4 | SE 4 | — | — | NW 3 | WNW 3 | — | — | — |
1 | 4 | — | — | — | 2 | — | 14 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 23 | 18 | 11 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 191 | 10 | 12 | 393 | 215 | 24 | 10 | 216 | 15 | 378 | 216 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 214 | 2 |
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.











