Surf Forecasts:
The Breakwater-St Ives surf forecast from 19 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 9s period, WNW swell with 860 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 2.4m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.4m 7s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 8ft (2.4m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Breakwater-St Ives over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s take a look at what’s in store for The Breakwater-St Ives. It’s a point break that handles a fair bit of swell, and it needs it from the NW. But honestly, for the next week and a half, it’s pretty grim. We’re looking at a long stretch of poor surf conditions, with the water temp sitting around 64°F, which is pretty normal for this time of year.
The problem is the wind. For the first few days, from Wednesday the 19th through to the weekend, it’s hammering from the WNW and NW at 15 to 21 mph, all cross-on or cross. That’s blowing the top off any chance of a clean wave. There’s a bit of size on the 20th, with a 8ft WNW swell, but it’s straight into a fresh cross-onshore breeze, making it lumpy and ugly. Not worth paddling out for. The energy is moderate at best, but it’s wasted.
The 21st and 22nd see the wind swing around to the north and drop a little, but the swell fades away to 3ft-4ft, with a weak, short period. The energy is weak. It’s just not happening.
Then we hit a real flat spell. From Sunday the 23rd until Tuesday the 25th, we’re looking at tiny 1ft to 2ft swells. The combined energy is pathetic. The wind is all over the place, but it doesn’t matter because there’s no wave to ride.
That blank run continues until the morning of the 29th of August. After days of nothing, we finally get a bit of a pulse. On Saturday the 29th, we see a 4ft W swell with a short period, but the wind is clean offshore from the SSW at 15 mph. The conditions are described as “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” It’s not a standout, but it’s the first sniff of anything rideable.
The wind looks cleaner again on the 28th, with offshore winds from the S and SSW, but the swell is small, 2ft to 4ft, and the energy is weak. It’s a reward for the patient, but nothing to get excited about.
Looking further out, the 31st of August brings a big 10ft WNW swell with a period of 10 seconds and a very strong combined energy. That’s a serious amount of water. But the wind is fresh cross-on from the NW, so it’s going to be a messy, lumpy beast. At that size, it’s only for experts, and the onshore wind will make it a battle. The 1st of September keeps the size up around 8ft, but the wind is a cross-shore mess. The 2nd of September has a cleaner cross-off wind from the SW with a 7ft WNW swell, but the wind is a strong 28 mph, which is just too much.
The best on offer? I’d say the tail end of the window, around the 2nd of September. The morning of the 2nd has a 7ft swell with a clean cross-off wind, but it’s a long way off and the wind is fresh. Still, it’s the cleanest option we get. The other one is the 29th of August, for the offshore wind, but the swell is tiny. If you’re desperate, you could get a few, but it’s not going to be memorable. The Breakwater is inconsistent at the best of times, and this run is a perfect example of why. It just doesn’t stay poor for long, but this is a real lull.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 9mm), mostly falling on Fri morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Wed morning, min 15°C on Thu night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Mon afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon morning, min 15°C on Sat morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | |||||||||||||||
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 | W 6 | W 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | SW 16 | N 6 | N 6 | N 5 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 14 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WSW 9 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
307 | 171 | 634 | 860 | 721 | 405 | 144 | 122 | 39 | 80 | 49 | 25 | 31 | 32 | 32 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 39 | 102 | 360 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 10:01AM4.94m | 10:23PM4.75m | 10:47AM4.53m | 11:15PM4.31m | 11:47AM4.18m | 00:28AM4.00m | 1:13PM4.00m | 2:02AM3.94m | 2:43PM4.12m | 3:19AM4.15m | 3:46PM4.44m | 4:12AM4.49m | 4:32PM4.83m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:21PM1.36m | 4:43AM1.59m | 5:07PM1.77m | 5:34AM1.98m | 6:12PM2.11m | 6:50AM2.23m | 7:44PM2.23m | 8:26AM2.22m | 9:14PM2.06m | 9:41AM1.94m | 10:14PM1.71m | 10:31AM1.56m | 10:57PM1.31m | ||||||||
6:16 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | |
— | 8:34 | — | — | 8:31 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | 3 | 1 | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 14 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 6 | W 7 | WNW 6 | N 5 | N 4 | W 8 | SW 14 | N 4 | ESE 7 | W 8 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WSW 9 |
24 | 24 | 36 | 21 | 721 | 405 | 144 | 122 | 25 | 38 | 12 | 25 | 9 | 13 | 32 | 5 | 18 | 12 | 39 | 102 | 360 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 16 | — | — | — | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | SE 6 | W 9 | W 9 | N 4 | ESE 7 | W 8 | SSW 13 | SW 13 |
24 | — | — | — | 33 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 24 | 15 | 25 | 14 | 14 | 5 | 13 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 16 | SSW 16 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | ESE 5 | SSW 14 | W 9 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | E 5 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | 25 | 25 | 39 | 21 | 21 | 54 | 31 | 32 | 3 | 19 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 2 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | W 6 | W 8 | WNW 9 | — | N 5 | N 6 | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 | N 6 | — | E 5 | N 5 | N 4 | ESE 6 | E 7 | N 3 | SE 7 | S 4 | — |
307 | 171 | 634 | 860 | — | 12 | 75 | 35 | 16 | 80 | 49 | — | 29 | 10 | 19 | 52 | 181 | 3 | 2 | 9 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 465 | 560 | 214 | 170 | 556 | 24 | 99 | 14 | 18 | 91 | 215 | 5 | 12 | 15 | 10 | 289 | 234 | 194 | 10 | 14 | 24 |
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.











