
Surf Forecasts:
The Breakwater-St Ives surf forecast from 12 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 13 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 18 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 12s period, WNW swell with 743 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 13 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 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 Sunday (Sep 13) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.4m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 13s. 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 1.6m 12s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Sep 18) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.2m 6s period and expected on Saturday (Sep 19) at 1AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sun 13th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.4m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Fri 18th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Breakwater-St Ives over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the next couple of weeks for the St Ives area.
Overall, it's a pretty frustrating run ahead. We’ve got swell sticking around for a while, but the wind is the real villain here – blowing from the wrong direction for most of it. There are a few windows where things clean up, but you’ll have to be patient. Right now, the water temp is sitting at 63°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least the rubber game is a bit more comfortable.
The first real chance to get something decent doesn't come until Sunday, September 20th. Up until then, it's pretty grim. We see proper swell on the 12th and 13th, with waves up to 6ft, but the wind is a fresh cross-off at 19 mph or a cross-shore breeze, so it’s messy. The energy is moderate, hitting 267 on Saturday but it’s just not clean. By Monday the 14th the swell drops to 4ft, and that cross-off breeze is still too strong to make it fun. Tuesday the 15th sees a bump back up to 6ft from the WNW, but the wind is a full-on cross-onshore at 19 mph, making it lumpy. That lumpy theme carries right through until Saturday the 19th, with the swell hanging around 5ft to 6ft but always on the wrong wind.
Now, for the highlight. The first standout is the early session on Sunday, September 20th at The Breakwater-St Ives. We get a clean offshore breeze from the SSW at 12 mph, with a nice 3ft swell rolling in from the WNW. The period stretches out to 14 seconds, which is proper long-period groundswell. That means good shaped waves but with longer lulls between sets. The energy is moderate (277), but with light offshores and clean conditions, this is the morning to go. It won’t be huge, but it will be the best quality we’ve seen by a long shot.
That same day, the afternoon gets a bit feral again with a big 8ft pulse from the west, but the cross-off wind goes to 19 mph and makes it a marginal choice. Only for the experienced crew.
Then on Monday, September 21st, we get another couple of good windows. The morning session serves up 5ft from the west at 11 seconds, with a light cross-off breeze at only 6 mph, making for clean conditions. The energy is moderate (512). The afternoon also looks fun, with 4ft from the same direction and light winds again. This is a solid, surfable day.
After that, it fades. Tuesday the 22nd is small and ordinary, and from Wednesday the 23rd through to the end of the run at the end of September, the swell drops right off to under 3ft and the energy falls into the weak zone. There’s nothing worth mentioning for the last week of the outlook.
So, keep your eyes on Sunday, September 20th for the morning glass-off, and Monday, September 21st for the best combination of size and clean conditions. The rest of the time, it’s a battle with the wind.
Later, Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon morning, min 17°C on Sat morning). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Wed night. Very mild (max 16°C on Tue morning, min 14°C on Wed morning). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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 8 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 8 | W 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
239 | 418 | 724 | 578 | 432 | 262 | 189 | 169 | 130 | 350 | 424 | 333 | 499 | 588 | 468 | 277 | 292 | 544 | 660 | 519 | 203 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off |
High Tide | 6:41PM6.34m | 7:00AM6.12m | 7:17PM6.23m | 7:34AM6.00m | 7:52PM5.98m | 8:08AM5.76m | 8:26PM5.62m | 8:42AM5.42m | 9:01PM5.18m | 9:18AM5.01m | 9:39PM4.71m | 9:59AM4.57m | 10:25PM4.26m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:46PM0.00m | 1:07AM-0.05m | 1:21PM0.05m | 1:41AM0.12m | 1:54PM0.24m | 2:12AM0.41m | 2:27PM0.55m | 2:44AM0.79m | 3:01PM0.94m | 3:17AM1.21m | 3:37PM1.37m | 3:54AM1.64m | 4:22PM1.80m | ||||||||
6:52 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | |
— | 7:43 | — | — | 7:40 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:36 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 |
Feels °C | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 12 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 14 | NW 12 | S 14 | SW 13 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | SW 11 | S 11 | W 8 | W 10 | WNW 10 | N 5 | W 10 | WNW 9 | S 13 | WNW 13 | WNW 12 | WNW 12 |
20 | 40 | 4 | 7 | 432 | 262 | 189 | 169 | 130 | 5 | 2 | 333 | 499 | 588 | 14 | 90 | 144 | 3 | 660 | 519 | 203 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 15 | S 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WNW 12 | — | — | S 11 | NW 12 | S 13 | S 13 | N 5 | — | — | SW 12 | S 12 | SW 16 |
8 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 27 | — | — | 2 | 38 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 6 | 3 | 10 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 12 | — | — | — | S 11 | — | — | — | — | S 18 | S 18 | S 15 | S 12 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | N 5 | N 6 | N 6 | W 10 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 10 | — | — | WSW 6 |
239 | 418 | 724 | 578 | — | — | — | — | — | 350 | 424 | 22 | 75 | 42 | 468 | 277 | 292 | 544 | — | — | 91 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 191 | 214 | 1 | 117 | 73 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 170 | 171 | 120 | 171 | 120 | 214 | 214 | 215 | 215 | 35 | 224 | 1 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)
Wind Speed (km/h)
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.










