
Surf Forecasts:
The Breakwater-St Ives surf forecast from 6 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 13 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 13 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 10s period, W swell with 284 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 4AM (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 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 7s. 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 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 13) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 7s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Thu 13th Aug) | 4ft (1.2m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Breakwater-St Ives over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the stretch ahead. It’s gonna be a test of patience, that’s for sure, but there’s a little light at the end of the tunnel.
The forecast for The Breakwater-St Ives (Cornwall) over the next 16 days starts off with a whole lot of nothing. We’re looking at a dry spell for the first week, with a long stretch of flat, small, and messy conditions. The water's sitting at 65°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least it won't be a shock to the system when you get in.
For the first few days, through the 7th and 8th, we're dealing with tiny waves and onshore breezes. The swell energy is weak, down in the 20-50 range, and there's just nothing to get excited about. The swell period is long, around 9 seconds, but there's no height to back it up. Honestly, it's a good time to get the fins waxed and work on your pop-up on the lawn.
We stay in this funk right through to the 11th, with small, choppy waves and cross-onshore winds messing up any chance of a clean face.
Things start to stir a little on the 12th. The swell bumps up to around 3 to 3 feet and the energy jumps into the 126-169 range. It’s not big, but the wind turns cross-offshore and the conditions are clean. For a brief window on the morning of the 12th, it might just be surfable, but it's far from a classic. The Breakwater is a point break, so it can handle a bit of direction, but it's still pretty weak and ordinary.
That little pulse fades fast, and the 13th through 15th are back to blown-out and messy with onshore winds and small, weak swell. More time for lawn work.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting. On the 17th, a proper westerly groundswell rolls in. The energy meter just explodes, hitting 432 on the Monday morning and then a massive 1944 by the afternoon. The swell will be pushing 5 feet in the morning and up to 8 feet by the afternoon. The wind is cross-offshore and the conditions are clean. This is the standout of the whole period. It's a solid, powerful westerly swell, and The Breakwater will be handling it. With the size, it's definitely not for the faint of heart—this is one for the experienced crew. The period is around 8-10 seconds, so it won't be the most lined-up groundswell, but the energy is there. This is the one to circle on the calendar.
The 18th gets messy again with a strong cross-onshore wind messing up the 7-foot swell. The wave energy is still strong, but the quality will drop off quickly. Tuesday the 19th fades out, leaving us with a final blip on the 20th. We see an 8-foot W swell, but a strong offshore wind and a fresh breeze will be blowing it out. It's clean but blown-out, more for the advanced and the bold.
All in all, the 17th is your day. After a week of nothing, we get one powerful, clean window before it gets messy again. Don't sleep on it.
That’s the story from down here. Keep your eyes on that swell.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sat morning, min 15°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Sun morning, min 17°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 6 | Friday 7 | Saturday 8 | Sunday 9 | Monday 10 | Tuesday 11 | Wednesday 12 | |||||||||||||||
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 6 | W 6 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
77 | 30 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 8 | 29 | 28 | 16 | 26 | 26 | 39 | 22 | 44 | 20 | 11 | 82 | 226 | 203 | 240 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | glassy |
High Tide | 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 | 5:18AM5.62m | 5:39PM6.05m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 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 | 11:44AM0.41m | 00:13AM0.12m | |||||||
5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | |
— | 8:57 | — | — | 8:55 | — | — | 8:53 | — | — | 8:52 | — | — | 8:51 | — | — | 8:49 | — | — | 8:46 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 20 |
Feels °C | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 21 | 22 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | W 6 | W 5 | W 5 | WNW 5 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 10 |
77 | 30 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 15 | 8 | 29 | 28 | 16 | 26 | 26 | 39 | 7 | 44 | 20 | 11 | 82 | 226 | 203 | 240 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 5 | W 9 | WSW 7 | SW 7 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | WNW 8 | WSW 6 | N 3 | W 9 | WNW 7 | — | E 7 | E 6 |
7 | 7 | 5 | 15 | 15 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 22 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 10 | — | 14 | 5 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | N 5 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 7 | SW 11 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 12 | SW 11 | SW 6 | W 11 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | E 8 | — | — |
18 | 17 | 17 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WNW 5 | — | — | — | S 5 | ESE 3 | E 3 | — | — | NW 3 | NW 4 | WNW 5 | NW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | 14 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 3 | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 24 | 394 | 392 | 392 | 383 | 376 | 216 | 12 | 12 | 216 | 12 | 216 | 24 | 253 | 255 | 387 | 202 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 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.











