Surf Forecasts:
The Harbour surf forecast from 20 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 7ft (2.2m), 8s period, ESE swell with 540 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for The Harbour this week:
The most powerful waves expected at The Harbour in the next 16 days are 2.2m 8s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 27) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.8m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Thu 27th Aug) | 7ft (2.2m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for The Harbour over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
G’day, I’m Rusty. The Harbour is a beach-and-groyne setup, and mate, we’re in for a proper quiet spell – the first ten days or so are mostly a write-off with tiny, messy, or no surf at all. Don’t get your hopes up early. Water temp is sitting around 58°F, which is about normal for this time of year. Let’s walk through it.
We kick off Wednesday the 19th and Thursday the 20th – absolutely nothing. Flat as. Friday the 21st is the same story, just cross-shore wind and chop. Saturday the 22nd you might spot a 1ft NW puff with a 3-second period (weak energy, just 1), but it’s barely worth a mention. Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th stay near flat, with just 0.7ft SSE on Monday morning. Tuesday the 25th sees a small 3ft SE swell peaking at 27 energy, but the wind is cross-onshore and choppy – poor conditions.
Wednesday the 26th brings the first real pulse: a 5ft SE swell building to 6ft by afternoon, period around 7 seconds, energy jumping to 373 (moderate). But the wind is strong and messy – cross-shore 25 mph at times. The water gets lumpy, and with size over 5ft and those conditions, it’s more of a kite-surfing play than paddle surfing. Still poor surf quality throughout.
Thursday the 27th morning is the biggest we see: 8ft E swell with a 9-second period and energy at 1027 (strong). That’s expert-only territory, but the morning wind is cross-onshore and choppy. Then Thursday afternoon, it flips: the wind swings light offshore from the SSW, the swell drops to 8ft E with an 8-second period, energy 762, and the conditions turn clean. This is the standout of the whole run – “expect very good surf conditions.” That afternoon session on Thursday the 27th is your best bet. The swell direction (E) lines up with the optimum (SE) reasonably, and offshore wind makes it clean. For intermediate to expert surfers, this is the moment.
Friday the 28th morning has 6ft SSE swell but light cross-onshore wind and only marginal conditions – a step down. The rest of the run from Friday afternoon onward drops off fast. Saturday the 29th to Wednesday the 3rd of September is tiny – 0.3ft to 2ft at best, with mostly clean but powerless surf. There is a glassy patch Saturday afternoon with 1ft ENE but it’s weak (21 energy). After Thursday the 27th, it’s a long quiet finish.
So, to sum it up: don’t even bother before the 26th. The only true standout is Thursday afternoon the 27th – clean, solid 8ft groundswell, offshore wind – that’s your session. Everything else is small or blown out. Ride it while it’s there.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon. Very mild (max 16°C on Sat morning, min 10°C on Fri night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 17°C on Sun morning, min 13°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | |||||||||||||||||||
Wed 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | ||||||||||||||
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) | NNE 7 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NW 3 | NW 3 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | S 3 | SSE 3 | NNE 7 | SSE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 6 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 75 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 6:50PM3.49m | 7:13AM3.52m | 7:45PM3.33m | 8:24AM3.29m | 8:58PM3.24m | 9:50AM3.20m | 10:16PM3.28m | 11:08AM3.27m | 11:23PM3.43m | 12:09PM3.42m | 00:16AM3.62m | 12:57PM3.61m | 00:59AM3.83m | |||||||
Low Tide | 00:39AM1.59m | 1:17PM1.64m | 1:41AM1.81m | 2:22PM1.90m | 3:08AM1.94m | 3:46PM2.01m | 4:50AM1.86m | 5:09PM1.96m | 6:00AM1.64m | 6:07PM1.79m | 6:45AM1.39m | 6:48PM1.60m | ||||||||
 |  |  | |  |  | |  | | |  | | | | |  | | | | | |
 | — | — | 5:43 | — | — | 5:46 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — |
 | 8:39 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — |
mm | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 14 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 |
Feels °C | 11 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNE 7 | — | — | NNE 8 | — | — | NNE 8 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 9 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 7 | NE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NNE 7 | NE 6 | N 6 |
| kJ | 37 | — | — | 226 | — | — | 228 | 322 | 232 | 194 | 111 | 58 | 54 | 21 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 3 | SSE 3 | — | N 13 | N 13 | N 12 | N 12 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | E 8 |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NNE 8 | NW 3 | NW 3 | SW 3 | — | — | — | — | S 3 | SSE 3 | SSE 4 | SE 4 | SE 5 | SE 6 |
| kJ | — | 83 | 232 | 384 | 306 | 262 | 402 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 6 | 16 | 25 | 75 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 297 | 1236 | 627 | 945 | 302 | 633 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 101 | 136 | 130 | 171 | 180 | 180 | 201 | 180 | 182 | 180 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Scotland - East Coast | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
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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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