The Harbour Surf Break

Lat Long: 57.14° N 2.06° W

The Harbour Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Issued: 12 am 13 Aug 2026 (local time)

Forecast update in  hr  min

Today's The Harbour sea temperature is
13.9° C
0.1° 

The Harbour surf forecast is for near shore open water. Breaking waves will often be smaller at less exposed spots.


The Harbour surf forecast from 13 Aug 2026:

  • Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.4m), 6s period, ENE swell with glassy winds.
  • Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 8s period, ENE swell with 179 kJ wave energy.
  • Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 5ft (1.5m), 6s period with ENE swell.

Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Harbour this week:

The surf forecast for The Harbour over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.5m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.

The most powerful waves expected at The Harbour in the next 16 days are 1.2m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 7s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 10PM.

Wave TypeTime (BST) & Date Wave Height & Period
Next good surf (1 star+) 7AM (Tue 18th Aug)5ft (1.5m) 6s
Best Surf10AM (Tue 18th Aug)4.5ft (1.4m) 6s
Most Powerful 7AM (Thu 20th Aug)4ft (1.2m) 8s

Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Harbour over the next 16 days.


The Lowdown

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – this outlook for The Harbour is a tough one. We’ve got a long, dry spell of nothing but poor surf conditions for over a week. From Thursday the 13th right through to Sunday the 16th, and then again from Monday the 17th through to Monday the 24th of August, it’s mostly flat or rubbish – tiny ankle-biters, onshore chop, or just plain no waves at all. That’s a proper gap of about 11 days with nothing worth paddling out for. There’s only one true standout in the whole 16-day window, and it’s on Tuesday the 18th of August.

So, here’s the rundown. From day one, Thursday the 13th, you’ve got a weak 0.9m (3ft) swell from the SE at a short 6-second period, but the wind is a cross-off from the south at 6 mph. It’s clean, but the combined swell energy is a paltry 60 – weak stuff. Honestly, it’s poor surf quality, not worth your time. Friday the 14th through Monday the 17th is a write-off: swells drop to 0.6m (2ft) or less, winds go onshore or cross-on, and the energy reading dips into the single digits or zeros. You can stay home.

Now, the one bright spot: Tuesday morning, the 18th of August. The Harbour (big–beach/groyne setup) picks up a 1.4m (5ft) swell from the ENE with a 6-second period. Now, that period is short, so it’s a windswell, not a groundswell, but the combined energy hits 256 – that’s moderate wave energy, and it’s the biggest reading we see. The wind? Glassy – 3 mph from the SE, which is basically dead calm. That means the surf will be clean, no chop, smooth faces. The forecast scores this as “expect good surf conditions” – and I’m with it. For an intermediate-level break that’s fairly consistent and exposed to SE swell, this is your session. Keep in mind, it can get crowded here sometimes, so expect a few locals out. Water temp is about average for this time of year, nothing unusual.

After that, the afternoon on the 18th drops to 0.7m (2ft) with a cross-off breeze – still clean but much weaker. Wednesday the 19th brings a 1.1m (4ft) SE swell but nasty cross-on winds at 16 mph and a choppy mess. Thursday the 20th has a 0.9m (3ft) ENE swell with 8-second period, but the wind is cross-on again, and the energy is 117 – moderate but ruined by the breeze. From Friday the 21st through to Friday the 28th, it’s back to tiny waves, offshore winds, or flat spells. Nothing else comes close to that Tuesday morning window.

So, if you’re after a paddle, make your move on Tuesday the 18th, first light. The rest of the run? Not much to get excited about. But it tends not to stay poor forever – forecasts can shift. Keep an eye out.

Rusty.

Short Range Forecast

Light rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Warm (max 25°C on Thu afternoon, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light.

Days 4-6 Weather Summary

Moderate rain (total 11mm), heaviest on Mon morning. Very mild (max 15°C on Sat night, min 12°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light.

Thursday
13
Friday
14
Saturday
15
Sunday
16
Monday
17
Tuesday
18
Wednesday
19
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
AM
PM
Night
Rating
(10 max)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
Swell
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Height Map
Wave
Height (m)
Direction
Period (s)
0.9
SE
6
0.9
SE
6
0.6
SE
5
0.6
SE
5
0.5
SE
5
0.3
ESE
5
0.2
ESE
4
0.2
ESE
5
0.1
SE
5
0.1
N
8
0.1
N
8
0.1
NE
5
0.7
SSE
4
0.7
SE
4
0.5
ENE
6
1.4
ENE
6
0.7
E
6
1.2
SE
5
1.1
SE
6
0.8
SE
6
0.3
SE
6
Wave Graph
Metric surfscale
Energy kJ
60
0
21
22
13
4
2
3
1
0
0
1
0
0
18
141
30
67
84
39
5
Wind (km/h)
10
S
25
S
5
NW
20
NNW
15
NE
5
SW
10
NW
10
SSW
10
WNW
10
NNW
10
ESE
5
SSE
15
S
20
SSW
0
NE
5
SE
10
S
15
NE
25
NNW
30
NNW
25
NW
Wind State
cross-off
cross-off
cross
cross-on
on
off
cross
cross-off
cross-off
cross-on
cross
cross-off
cross-off
off
glassy
glassy
cross-off
on
cross-on
cross
cross
High Tide
2:51PM4.31m
2:56AM4.53m
3:33PM4.31m
3:36AM4.56m
4:12PM4.22m
4:16AM4.49m
4:50PM4.07m
4:55AM4.31m
5:27PM3.88m
5:35AM4.07m
6:06PM3.68m
6:20AM3.79m
6:50PM3.49m
Low Tide
8:29AM0.31m
8:41PM0.84m
9:11AM0.20m
9:21PM0.79m
9:52AM0.24m
9:59PM0.82m
10:31AM0.41m
10:36PM0.94m
11:09AM0.68m
11:13PM1.11m
11:47AM0.99m
11:53PM1.34m
12:28PM1.33m
00:39AM1.59m
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light rain
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part cloud
mod rain
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cloud
cloud
light rain
heavy rain
light rain
clear
part cloud
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunrise">Sunrise</span>
5:28
5:31
5:33
5:35
5:37
5:39
5:41
<span class="translation_missing" title="translation missing: en.weather_tables.sunset">Sunset</span>
8:54
8:52
8:50
8:47
8:45
8:43
8:39
 mm
4
1
2
8
1
2
14
1
Temp °C
23
25
20
18
17
15
17
17
15
13
13
12
13
14
14
14
14
14
13
15
12
Feels °C
20
22
21
16
16
15
16
15
14
11
11
11
11
13
13
14
12
9
8
9
7
  • Map Icons:
  • Break
  • Live Wave Height (m)
  • Live Wind Speed (km/h)
  • Surf Rating (10 Max)
  • Ocean Swells (m)
  • Wind Speed (km/h)
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Information about the The Harbour Surf forecast

The above surf forecast table for The Harbour provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at The Harbour can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our The Harbour 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 Harbour) 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 Harbour 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.

Are you planning a holiday in Scotland - East Coast? If you are looking for accommodation near The Harbour, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in Scotland - East Coast, consider staying in Aberdeen which is 3 km (2 miles) away. Other places in and around Scotland - East Coast where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Charlestown which is 6 km (4 miles) away, Peterhead, Montrose and Fraserburgh.

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