Surf Forecasts:
Tolcarne surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 25 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 29 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 8s period, W swell with 816 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Tolcarne this week:
The surf forecast for Tolcarne over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Tolcarne in the next 16 days are 2.5m 8s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 29) 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 0.6m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Tue 25th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 8s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Tolcarne over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into the outlook for Tolcarne. We’ve got a long 16-day window ahead, but honestly, for the next week and a half or so, you might as well leave the board in the car.
The pattern starts off flat and pretty ordinary. From Sunday the 23rd through to Tuesday the 3rd of September, it’s a real struggle. For over a week, the swell is tiny, mostly around 0.7ft to 1ft, and the wave energy is weak, barely hitting three digits on the dial. There’s a few mornings with light offshore or cross-off breezes that might keep the water clean, but with that little swell, it’s just not worth paddling out. Even when the wind goes offshore, like on Tuesday the 25th afternoon and Wednesday the 26th morning, the waves are too short-period and small to do anything with. You’d be floating out there.
We do finally see a pulse of energy coming through on Thursday the 27th. The swell bumps up to about 4ft in the morning from the southwest, with a moderate combined energy (174). By the afternoon it’s 5ft and the energy jumps to 378, meaning there’s a bit more push in the water. The wind is light and cross-off, keeping things reasonably clean. But the period is short at around 7-9 seconds, so the waves won’t have a ton of shape – better for a beachie, but not much to write home about. Still, it’s the first surfable wave in the whole run. Not a standout, just a relief.
The story really changes when we get to Friday the 4th of September. This is the one to circle on the calendar. The overnight swell builds in, and by Friday morning Tolcarne is looking at 8ft swell from the west, with a combined energy of 1223 – that’s strong, meaty power. The wind is a moderate cross-off from the south-southwest, which should keep things clean. The period is 10 seconds, so it’s got good energy and reasonable shape. This is the first real standout of the period. Keep in mind, 8ft is getting up there, so it’s likely one for the experienced surfers only. The crowd factor can be heavy here, but for waves like that, it figures.
Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th keep that west swell going strong, still around 7ft to 8ft, with solid energy readings in the 700 to 960 range. The wind stays cross-off, so the waves should still be clean. It’s not quite the peak of Friday, but a solid run over that weekend. On Sunday afternoon it turns more cross-shore and gets lumpy, so you want to be out there in the mornings.
Then on Monday the 7th of September, you’re going to see a massive jump in size. The swell hits 12ft from the west, and the combined energy is off the charts at over 2600. But before you get too excited, the wind is a nightmare – strong cross-onshore, blowing 28-31 mph, turning the ocean into a complete mess. That’s blown-out, dangerous conditions. This setup looks far more interesting for the kite crowd than anyone with a paddle. Experienced chargers only, and even then, it’s a tough call.
Water temp this week at Tolcarne is about 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year. Nice, but won’t keep you too warm when you’re waiting for sets.
So the big takeaway: Friday the 4th of September is the absolute best on offer – solid 8ft west swell, clean cross-off wind, and strong energy. Get on it early. The run over that weekend is good too. The rest is mostly flat or blown out. That’s how I see it from here.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Mon afternoon, min 16°C on Sun morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Sun morning, fresh winds from the E by Mon morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 21°C on Wed morning, min 15°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SW on Thu night, fresh winds from the W by Fri night). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 14 | SW 13 | WSW 10 | WSW 14 | WSW 13 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | SW 6 | SSW 8 | SW 9 | SW 8 | W 9 | WSW 7 | W 6 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
19 | 43 | 38 | 19 | 17 | 12 | 52 | 70 | 59 | 50 | 31 | 34 | 184 | 164 | 91 | 42 | 82 | 181 | 816 | 681 | 405 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | off | off | off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 2:52PM4.47m | 3:30AM4.52m | 3:57PM4.83m | 4:24AM4.90m | 4:44PM5.27m | 5:04AM5.32m | 5:21PM5.72m | 5:40AM5.72m | 5:55PM6.12m | 6:12AM6.07m | 6:27PM6.44m | 6:44AM6.33m | 7:00PM6.66m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:24PM2.25m | 9:51AM2.12m | 10:24PM1.87m | 10:41AM1.71m | 11:07PM1.44m | 11:20AM1.28m | 11:43PM1.03m | 11:54AM0.90m | 00:16AM0.67m | 12:27PM0.58m | 00:48AM0.40m | 12:59PM0.37m | 1:19AM0.25m | ||||||||
6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
— | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:20 | — | — | 8:17 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:14 | — | — | 8:12 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 12 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 17 | 21 | 21 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 5 | SW 13 | WSW 10 | N 4 | W 9 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | SW 6 | W 8 | SW 9 | SW 8 | W 7 | WNW 8 | W 11 | — | — | — |
10 | 43 | 38 | 1 | 6 | 12 | 52 | 70 | 59 | 50 | 31 | 34 | 11 | 164 | 91 | 36 | 24 | 2 | — | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | W 10 | WSW 14 | WSW 9 | WSW 13 | W 9 | SSW 8 | NNE 5 | SW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 7 | W 8 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | SW 11 | W 11 | — | — | — |
13 | 8 | 19 | 8 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 18 | 11 | 51 | 51 | 42 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 14 | WSW 10 | — | WSW 14 | SW 9 | SW 13 | W 8 | SW 8 | SW 13 | N 6 | N 6 | SW 12 | — | — | — | SSW 7 | — | — | — | — | — |
19 | 9 | — | 19 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | NNW 4 | N 4 | E 3 | ENE 4 | NE 4 | NE 5 | — | SSE 3 | SW 4 | SSW 4 | — | SSW 8 | — | — | — | WSW 7 | W 6 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 |
— | 6 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 10 | — | 3 | 6 | 7 | — | 184 | — | — | — | 82 | 181 | 816 | 681 | 405 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 13 | 6 | 1 | 387 | 265 | 205 | 13 | 203 | 7 | 1 | 136 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 26 | 1 | 507 | 508 | 562 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Tolcarne Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Tolcarne provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Tolcarne can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Tolcarne 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 (Tolcarne) 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 Tolcarne 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 North Cornwall? If you are looking for accommodation near Tolcarne, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in North Cornwall, consider staying in Newquay which is 2 km (1 miles) away. Other places in and around North Cornwall where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Padstow which is 17 km (11 miles) away, Truro, Saint Austell and Bodmin.











