
Surf Forecasts:
Woolacombe surf forecast from 11 Sep 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 13 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 7s period, WSW swell with 365 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Woolacombe this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Woolacombe in the next 16 days are 1.8m 7s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 13) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Sun 13th Sep) | 6ft (1.8m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Woolacombe over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming up for Woolacombe over the next couple of weeks. I’ve got to be straight with you – it’s a tough outlook. We’ve got a long, grim stretch of poor conditions to get through before anything remotely rideable shows up, and even then, it’s not exactly firing.
Right now, we’re in a real flat spell. From the 11th of September all the way through to the 21st, there’s just nothing worth paddling out for. It’s mostly cross-onshore winds, messy, lumpy, choppy – surfable? Nah, not really. The swell is either too weak or it’s getting mangled by the wind. A few of those days have a bit of size, like Thursday the 17th with a 6ft swell from the west, but it’s got a short, crumbly period of 7 seconds and a fresh cross-onshore breeze. That’s just a washing machine. Honestly, it looks more like a kite-surfing setup than a paddle session.
The water temperature is sitting at about 65°, which is *much warmer* than normal for this time of year – a solid 5° above average. That’s pretty unusual, so at least you won’t be freezing while you’re sitting there waiting for a wave.
Now, let’s talk about the light at the end of the tunnel. The only two windows that even come close to being worth a mention are right at the end of the forecast.
First up, Tuesday the 22nd of September. Early morning, the wind swings around to a light easterly offshore at 9 mph, and we get a clean, glassy surface. The swell is a small 3ft from the west, with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is moderate (154). The offshore wind is a major positive here – it’ll be clean. But honestly, the size is tiny. It’s a gamble, but you might get a few fun little ones if you’re on a log. Expect crowds *sometimes* at this break, but with surf this small, it might not be too bad.
The other standout – and for me, this is the only one that gets me a little excited – is Saturday the 26th of September in the afternoon. We get a 5ft swell from the west-southwest, a 7-second period, and a light offshore breeze from the northeast. The combined energy is strong (269), and the report says “expect good surf conditions”. After nearly two weeks of garbage, that’s music to my ears. The wind will be clean, so the waves should have some shape, even if the period is a bit short. This is the one to pencil in.
For all of this, the optimum swell direction for Woolacombe is west-northwest, and most of the swell we get is from the west, so we’re in the right ballpark.
So, in summary: we’ve got a long, bleak run of nothing until the last few days. The 22nd offers small, clean waves for the patient surfer, but Saturday the 26th afternoon is the real pick of the bunch. It’ll be a busy one if it comes together.
Stay stoked, be patient, and I’ll see you in the water.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 15mm), heaviest on Sat night. Warm (max 21°C on Mon morning, min 14°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the SW on Sat afternoon, light winds from the SW by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 7mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Warm (max 20°C on Mon afternoon, min 13°C on Tue night). Mainly strong winds. | |||||||||||||||||||
Fri 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | Tuesday 15 | Wednesday 16 | Thursday 17 | ||||||||||||||
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 | WSW 8 | W 8 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | W 10 | W 10 | WSW 10 | W 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 6 | W 7 | W 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | W 10 | W 5 | W 7 | W 7 | W 6 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
194 | 112 | 64 | 276 | 365 | 319 | 231 | 150 | 78 | 193 | 80 | 154 | 148 | 87 | 161 | 98 | 109 | 347 | 267 | 98 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on |
High Tide | 7:16PM9.65m | 7:38AM9.48m | 7:54PM9.66m | 8:13AM9.41m | 8:28PM9.46m | 8:45AM9.18m | 8:59PM9.11m | 9:15AM8.82m | 9:28PM8.64m | 9:42AM8.36m | 9:56PM8.10m | 10:11AM7.82m | 10:25PM7.50m | |||||||
Low Tide | 1:26AM0.59m | 1:36PM0.61m | 2:00AM0.65m | 2:08PM0.71m | 2:29AM0.88m | 2:37PM0.96m | 2:55AM1.22m | 3:04PM1.32m | 3:19AM1.64m | 3:31PM1.78m | 3:45AM2.13m | 4:02PM2.33m | ||||||||
— | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:47 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | |
7:40 | — | — | 7:38 | — | — | 7:37 | — | — | 7:34 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:27 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 2 |
Temp °C | 15 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | WSW 8 | W 8 | — | — | W 10 | W 10 | WSW 10 | W 9 | — | W 8 | W 7 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | — | W 6 |
194 | 112 | 64 | — | — | 319 | 231 | 150 | 78 | — | 48 | 154 | 18 | 66 | 62 | 98 | 73 | 8 | — | 98 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 11 | — | — | W 9 | — | — | — | — | W 9 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | — | 62 | — | — | — | — | 39 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | WSW 5 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | — | — | SW 3 | WSW 5 | WSW 9 | WSW 6 | — | W 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | W 6 | W 5 | W 7 | W 7 | — |
— | — | 51 | 276 | 365 | — | — | 2 | 36 | 193 | 80 | — | 148 | 87 | 161 | 78 | 109 | 347 | 267 | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 43 | 67 | 104 | 276 | 316 | 41 | 69 | 3 | 90 | 90 | 78 | 112 | 376 | 112 | 41 | 279 | 561 | 857 | 390 | 561 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Devon | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Woolacombe Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Woolacombe provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Woolacombe can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Woolacombe 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 (Woolacombe) 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 Woolacombe 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.
Woolacombe is 14 km (9 miles) from Appledore. If you plan a holiday in North Devon, look for hotels and other accommodation in Appledore. Appledore has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










