Surf Forecasts:
The Breakwater-St Ives surf forecast from 31 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 5 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 13s period, WNW swell with 1,624 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 1 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 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 Tuesday (Sep 01) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 5s. 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 2.2m 13s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Sep 05) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.5m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 1AM (Tue 1st Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sat 5th Sep) | 7ft (2.2m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Breakwater-St Ives over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down the St Ives zone.
The Breakwater-St Ives is a point break that likes a west swell, and really lights up with a north-west wind. But the first week is a mess. That Monday morning, we’ve got a 10-foot west swell with a combined energy of 1581, but a 30 km/h cross-onshore is making it a total chop-fest. Lumpy, poor conditions. The swell hangs around, but the wind just won’t let up. The water temp is about 63°F, which is normal for the season.
The break is inconsistent, which is a bit of a shame, but the main issue is the wind. On Tuesday the 1st of September, we get a tiny clean window in the morning – 4 feet from the west, period 9 seconds, with a light cross-off breeze. The energy is weak (203), but it’s clean. That’s the best we see for a while. The rest of the week is a battle: strong winds, lumpy cross-shore chop, and the swell stays above 5 feet for days, with the combined energy climbing into the moderate three-digit range.
Come Saturday the 6th of September, the swell drops right off – 3 feet from the west, energy down to 119 – but we get a true standout Sunday morning. The wind swings SSE offshore, light at 15 km/h, and the surf is clean. The swell is tiny (3 feet), but it’s offshore and glassy. That’s the kind of day you don’t want to miss, even if it’s small. The crowd situation here is “sometimes” busy, so you might have a few others out, but it’s worth it.
The main event, though, is the long-range stuff. Mark your calendar for Monday the 14th of September. Monday morning we’ve got a 4-foot west-northwest swell with a very long period of 17 seconds. The combined energy shoots up to 1755 – strong. The wind is light cross-on, and the conditions are marginal, but with that kind of period, this point break will be holding lines. The afternoon gets even bigger: 7 feet from the west-northwest, 15-second period, energy at 2205. Wind is cross-shore, so it’s a bit lumpy, but this is a proper groundswell. For experts only if it’s over 8 feet, and Tuesday the 15th pushes 10 feet again, but with a strong 40 km/h cross-offshore wind. It’s clean, but only for the brave.
The best bet in the whole 16-day window? It’s a toss-up between that glassy Sunday morning the 6th of September, and the long-period groundswell on Monday the 14th. For clean, smooth waves that you can actually enjoy, the 6th is your day. For raw power and length, the 14th is the one to watch, but it’s a week and a half away, so keep an eye on the forecasts.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 16°C on Mon morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the WSW on Mon night, fresh winds from the SSW by Wed morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Very mild (max 19°C on Thu morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WNW on Fri night, calm by Sat night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 31 | Tuesday 1 | Wednesday 2 | Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WSW 6 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 7 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
1581 | 1209 | 463 | 189 | 146 | 131 | 177 | 397 | 316 | 310 | 349 | 422 | 512 | 632 | 1624 | 1000 | 486 | 245 | 110 | 59 | 50 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | off | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 7:54PM6.08m | 8:12AM5.86m | 8:31PM5.90m | 8:50AM5.66m | 9:11PM5.59m | 9:34AM5.35m | 9:59PM5.18m | 10:26AM4.96m | 11:00PM4.74m | 11:37AM4.61m | 00:24AM4.42m | 1:10PM4.49m | 2:02AM4.45m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 1:56PM0.26m | 2:17AM0.29m | 2:31PM0.40m | 2:52AM0.51m | 3:10PM0.66m | 3:33AM0.84m | 3:55PM1.01m | 4:22AM1.24m | 4:53PM1.40m | 5:28AM1.62m | 6:15PM1.69m | 7:01AM1.82m | 7:57PM1.68m | ||||||||
6:33 | — | — | 6:35 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | |
— | 8:08 | — | — | 8:07 | — | — | 8:05 | — | — | 8:02 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:55 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 10 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | SW 17 | W 8 | SSW 16 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WNW 12 | SSW 14 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 |
1581 | 1209 | 463 | 189 | 12 | 131 | 25 | 37 | 21 | 36 | 45 | 37 | 33 | 156 | 20 | 1000 | 486 | 245 | 110 | 59 | 50 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | N 5 | N 4 | — | SW 16 | SSW 16 | — | — | S 9 | — | — | S 8 | SW 14 | — | SSW 14 | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 | SW 13 | SW 12 |
— | — | 8 | 2 | — | 10 | 25 | — | — | 2 | — | — | 1 | 33 | — | 18 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | S 18 | SW 18 | S 12 | SW 11 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | — | W 16 |
— | — | 6 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | 17 | 7 | — | 5 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | W 9 | — | WSW 6 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 7 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | WNW 13 | — | — | — | SE 3 | S 4 | SSE 4 |
— | — | — | — | 146 | — | 177 | 397 | 316 | 310 | 349 | 422 | 512 | 632 | 1624 | — | — | — | 2 | 7 | 4 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 215 | 176 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 214 | 278 | 1 | 35 | 278 | 1 | 248 | 215 | 214 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 14 |
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.











