Surf Forecasts:
West Wittering surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Tuesday 18 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 6s period, WSW swell with 205 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for West Wittering this week:
The most powerful waves expected at West Wittering in the next 16 days are 1.7m 6s and forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Saturday (Aug 22) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Tue 18th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for West Wittering over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what West Wittering’s got lined up for us. I gotta be straight with you – it’s a grim picture for the next two weeks. We’re looking at a real drought of surfable waves. The whole 16-day window is pretty much a write-off, with the vast majority of days offering flat or near-flat conditions, and when there is a bump, the wind and quality just aren’t playing ball. There’s a big gap of nothing, with the first proper chance of a paddle not even showing up until the very end.
Kicking off from August 16th, it’s flat. Totally flat. A zero in the energy department. Water temp is sitting at 71°F, which is a whopping 9°F warmer than usual – that’s very unusual, a proper Indian summer feel to the sea. But you won’t be surfing it. This stretch of nothing continues through the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th. We get tiny little dribbles of swell, never breaking 3ft, from the SW, but the wind is constantly onshore or cross-onshore, messy, choppy – a kite surfer’s dream, not a paddle surfer’s. The swell period is short, around 3 to 4 seconds, so no power at all.
The 21st gives us a clean morning with a light offshore from the N, but the swell is just 1.0ft from the SW. You could maybe catch a knee-high ripple on a longboard, but it’s a low tide special, and there’s very little energy. Then it’s back to nothing for the 22nd and 23rd. The 24th and 25th offer a tiny pulse of 0.3ft to 2ft from the W and SW, with periods still short. It’s clean on some mornings, but we’re talking ankle-biters. Not worth dragging the wettie out for.
The only glimmer, and I mean a very faint glimmer, is on August 29th. The afternoon sees a sudden jump in energy. The combined energy is high, meaning there’s some serious power in the water. Swell height jumps to 7ft from the SSW, with a period of 6 seconds. Now, this is a raw, short-period wind swell, and the wind is howling onshore at 25 mph from the WSW. For a sheltered beach/groyne setup like West Wittering, that is going to be a messy, blown-out, choppy mess. It’s big enough to be dangerous for beginners, and only for experts who like a challenge in poor conditions. The quality is still poor and it’s a short-period, onshore mess. Honestly, I can’t call any day a standout here. If you’re desperate, that 29th might give you a wild, ugly, powerful session, but you’d have to want it bad.
To sum it up: a total flat spell for the first week and a half, followed by a one-day spike of powerful but terrible-quality surf at the very end of the window. The wind is our enemy for most of it. Forecasts can change, so don’t write the whole summer off just yet.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastSome drizzle, heaviest during Tue night. Warm (max 23°C on Mon morning, min 16°C on Tue night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SSW on Sun afternoon, fresh winds from the WSW by Wed morning). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed afternoon, min 13°C on Thu night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the WSW on Wed afternoon, calm by Fri morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | ||||||||||||||
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 5 | SW 3 | SW 5 | WSW 3 | SW 4 | SSW 6 | WSW 3 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SW 3 | SW 4 | SW 6 | SW 5 | SW 5 | SW 5 | W 11 | W 11 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 23 | 14 | 5 | 34 | 19 | 8 | 28 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | off |
High Tide | 2:57AM4.88m | 3:19PM4.85m | 3:34AM4.56m | 3:54PM4.50m | 4:10AM4.20m | 4:31PM4.13m | 4:49AM3.83m | 5:11PM3.77m | 5:36AM3.48m | 6:04PM3.45m | 6:46AM3.22m | 7:35PM3.27m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:38PM0.44m | 8:53AM0.39m | 9:16PM0.67m | 9:32AM0.71m | 9:57PM0.96m | 10:13AM1.06m | 10:42PM1.28m | 11:01AM1.42m | 11:39PM1.56m | 12:05PM1.71m | 00:52AM1.75m | 1:24PM1.85m | 2:10AM1.76m | |||||||
— | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | |
8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:10 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 18 |
Feels °C | 21 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 14 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 5 | — | SW 5 | — | — | SSW 6 | — | — | — | — | — | SW 6 | SW 5 | — | SW 5 | — | W 5 | ESE 6 |
— | — | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 4 | — | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 10 | — | SW 5 | — | — | W 11 | W 10 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 2 | 2 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 11 | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SW 3 | — | WSW 3 | SW 4 | WNW 2 | WSW 3 | SW 4 | SW 4 | SW 3 | SW 4 | W 3 | N 2 | — | — | E 4 | E 4 | E 4 |
— | — | — | 4 | — | 3 | 23 | 1 | 5 | 34 | 19 | 8 | 28 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 9 | 6 | 21 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 387 | 465 | 384 | 303 | 400 | 334 | 386 | 400 | 617 | 303 | 487 | 282 | 303 | 187 | 29 | 143 | 191 | 278 | 271 | 66 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Coast of England | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the West Wittering Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for West Wittering provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at West Wittering can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our West Wittering 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 (West Wittering) 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 West Wittering 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.
West Wittering is 8 km (5 miles) from Emsworth. If you plan a holiday in South Coast of England, look for hotels and other accommodation in Emsworth. Emsworth has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











