
Surf Forecasts:
Watergate Bay surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 8ft (2.4m), 10s period, WNW swell with 1,117 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Watergate Bay this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Watergate Bay in the next 16 days are 2.4m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Wed 16th Sep) | 8ft (2.4m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Watergate Bay over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright crew, Rusty here with a look at what's coming up for Watergate Bay.
Right off the bat, this is a tricky stretch. The next week is mostly a write-off with poor conditions and moderate to fresh onshore winds messing up the waves. We’re looking at a lot of cross and cross-onshore wind keeping things choppy and ugly. But don't lose hope, because it's not all bad news. We have a couple of potential windows of real quality if you can be patient.
For most of the first week, from Monday the 14th through to the weekend, the swell is there but the wind is just cruel. We’re seeing a lot of moderate to fresh breeze from the SW, WNW, and WSW, creating a cross-chop and making it a real battle out there. The combined energy is moderate, sitting between 195 and 877, but the "poor surf conditions" tag says it all. You’d need a serious love for punishment to paddle out.
The Standout: Sunday, 27th September
This is the one to circle on your calendar. The morning is predicted to see a big 12ft swell from the west with a period of 11 seconds, but the data suggests it might be too much for the break. The *afternoon* though? That’s where it gets interesting. A solid 10ft W swell with an 11-second period, combined with light offshore winds from the SSE. That's a clean, powerful line-up for experienced surfers only. The energy is massive at 2360 – that’s a lot of water moving. If you’ve got the skills, this is the session.
The Honorable Mention: Wednesday, 23rd September Morning
This is a classic early-season dawn patrol call. We get a 4ft swell from the west with a 10-second period, but the magic is in the wind. It's glassy off the ESE. That's "Slight air" – dead calm. The combined energy is moderate (286), but for a beginner-friendly spot like Watergate Bay, that glassy morning with a bit of west swell will be the cleanest, most user-friendly waves of the first two weeks. Perfect for a longboard.
Also worth a look is Friday, 25th September – both morning and afternoon offer fresh offshore winds from the southeast. The swell is a bit smaller in the afternoon (4ft) with a 13-second period, but the conditions will be clean and shaped up.
The Big Gap
There’s a real dead patch from the afternoon of Saturday, 26th September, right through to the magic Sunday the 27th. Sunday morning is a bit too big, but the afternoon comes good for the experts.
Water Conditions
The water temperature is about average for the time of year at Watergate Bay, so a standard autumn wetsuit will do you fine.
Stay patient. The first week is for fixing your gear. The end of the second week is where the magic could happen.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Mon night. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Sat morning. Very mild (max 17°C on Fri afternoon, min 15°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | Friday 18 | Saturday 19 | Sunday 20 | |||||||||||||||
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 9 | W 9 | W 7 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 10 | W 11 | W 10 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 12 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 | WNW 15 | WNW 14 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
189 | 181 | 126 | 365 | 439 | 844 | 815 | 525 | 458 | 566 | 535 | 709 | 449 | 1004 | 421 | 358 | 336 | 579 | 363 | 259 | 485 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 7:47AM6.62m | 8:04PM6.58m | 8:20AM6.34m | 8:38PM6.17m | 8:54AM5.95m | 9:13PM5.69m | 9:30AM5.49m | 9:51PM5.16m | 10:10AM5.00m | 10:36PM4.66m | 11:04AM4.55m | 11:45PM4.25m | 12:32PM4.27m | 1:32AM4.14m | |||||||
Low Tide | 2:02PM0.27m | 2:19AM0.45m | 2:34PM0.59m | 2:50AM0.85m | 3:07PM1.01m | 3:22AM1.30m | 3:42PM1.48m | 3:59AM1.78m | 4:26PM1.95m | 4:48AM2.22m | 5:31PM2.37m | 6:09AM2.55m | 7:16PM2.54m | ||||||||
6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | 7:00 | — | — | 7:01 | — | — | |
— | 7:37 | — | — | 7:35 | — | — | 7:32 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:28 | — | — | 7:25 | — | — | 7:23 | — | |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 17 | 18 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | SW 12 | W 9 | W 10 | — | — | WNW 10 | W 11 | N 6 | — | — | — | N 5 | N 5 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | WNW 14 |
189 | 6 | 23 | 56 | — | — | 815 | 525 | 10 | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | 82 | 68 | 110 | 579 | 363 | 225 | 485 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | — | WNW 12 | — | — | — | — | N 6 | — | — | — | — | W 12 | W 17 | W 16 | SW 16 | — | — | N 5 | WNW 15 | N 5 |
6 | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | 39 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 6 | 5 | 10 | — | — | 16 | 259 | 4 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 18 | — | — | — | — | — | WNW 16 | SW 14 | SW 13 |
— | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 104 | 8 | 7 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 9 | W 7 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 9 | N 6 | — | W 10 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | W 12 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | — | — | N 5 | — |
— | 181 | 126 | 365 | 439 | 844 | 62 | — | 458 | 566 | 535 | 709 | 449 | 1004 | 421 | 358 | 336 | — | — | 11 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 235 | 235 | 94 | 44 | 94 | 486 | 561 | 235 | 94 | 244 | 220 | 244 | 244 | 208 | 5 | 10 | 132 | 4 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Watergate Bay Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Watergate Bay provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Watergate Bay can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Watergate Bay 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 (Watergate Bay) 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 Watergate Bay 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 Watergate Bay, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in North Cornwall, consider staying in Newquay which is 5 km (3 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 13 km (8 miles) away, Truro, Bodmin and Saint Austell.










