
Surf Forecasts:
Woolacombe surf forecast from 14 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Sunday 20 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 16 Sep, 1PM (local time) - 5ft (1.6m), 10s period, W swell with 510 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 20 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Woolacombe this week:
The surf forecast for Woolacombe over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Sep 20) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 14s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Woolacombe in the next 16 days are 1.6m 10s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Sep 16) at 1PM. 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+) | 10PM (Sun 20th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Sun 20th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 1PM (Wed 16th Sep) | 5ft (1.6m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Woolacombe over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s talk about Woolacombe. It’s a beach and reef set-up, fairly exposed to the west-northwest, which is what we want. It’s a beginner-friendly spot, but it can get busy sometimes.
The water is sitting at 65°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – that’s a solid 5° above average, so you can probably get away with a thinner suit.
Now, the bad news. The next week or so is pretty grim. Monday the 14th kicks off with light rain and a moderate cross-onshore breeze from the southwest, shoving a weak 3ft swell into the bay. The combined wave energy is only 162, which is weak. It’s choppy and messy, no good for anything. That theme continues. Tuesday the 15th has a slightly bigger 6ft swell, but it’s a short-period 7 second onshore mess, with a fresh breeze blowing straight on. Energy picks up to 302, but the quality is still zero. Wednesday the 16th is the same story – cross-onshore winds and a 5ft to 5ft swell. The energy actually hits a moderate 535 on Wednesday afternoon, but the wind ruins it, making it lumpy and choppy. Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th are more onshore wind and poor surf. Honestly, it’s a write-off. You’re looking at a solid 7 days of poor surf conditions, with onshore winds and messy waves.
We finally get a change on Monday the 21st. The wind swings offshore from the east-southeast, with a slight air, giving us clean conditions. The problem is the swell has dropped to a tiny 2ft with weak energy (45). It’s clean, but there’s almost nothing to ride. Tuesday the 22nd morning offers the first glimmer of hope. A clean, offshore breeze from the east-southeast, and a 2ft swell with a 12-second period. That’s a long period groundswell, and for Woolacombe, a beach and reef break, that long period can make waves break a bit straight. Still, the energy is moderate at 132, and it’s clean. It’s surfable, but only just. Wednesday the 23rd morning is similar – 2ft with a 9-second period, clean with an offshore breeze. Again, small and weak, but the only window we have.
For the real standout, you have to look at Thursday the 24th of September. The morning is glassy, with a slight air from the southeast. The swell is 2ft from the west with a 9-second period. The energy is moderate at 108. It’s small, but glassy conditions are rare and will make it look better than it is. That’s the pick of the forecast.
After that, it fades again. Friday the 25th has a glassy morning, but the swell drops to 2ft. The wind goes offshore again from the east on the 26th, but the swell is down to 2ft. By the end of the month, the swell is almost non-existent, with a strong offshore breeze blowing the tiny 0.3ft to 1ft waves flat. The 29th has a moderate offshore breeze and a 2ft swell with a 13-second period, but it’s still too small to get excited about. For the whole 16-day run, the best bet is the glassy conditions on the 24th. Don’t expect much.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 6mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Thu morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat afternoon, min 14°C on Thu 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 | WSW 9 | WSW 6 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | W 7 | W 8 | WSW 6 | W 7 | W 6 | W 7 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
162 | 162 | 82 | 302 | 303 | 247 | 482 | 402 | 284 | 254 | 210 | 248 | 173 | 135 | 160 | 148 | 166 | 107 | 157 | 108 | 55 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on | glassy |
High Tide | 8:59PM9.11m | 9:15AM8.82m | 9:28PM8.64m | 9:42AM8.36m | 9:56PM8.10m | 10:11AM7.82m | 10:25PM7.50m | 10:44AM7.24m | 11:03PM6.87m | 11:32AM6.65m | 00:03AM6.29m | 1:04PM6.24m | 1:57AM6.07m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 2:37PM0.96m | 2:55AM1.22m | 3:04PM1.32m | 3:19AM1.64m | 3:31PM1.78m | 3:45AM2.13m | 4:02PM2.33m | 4:15AM2.69m | 4:40PM2.96m | 4:57AM3.31m | 5:42PM3.56m | 6:16AM3.86m | 7:36PM3.83m | ||||||||
6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | 6:56 | — | — | 6:58 | — | — | |
— | 7:34 | — | — | 7:31 | — | — | 7:30 | — | — | 7:27 | — | — | 7:24 | — | — | 7:22 | — | — | 7:21 | — | |
mm | 1 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 16 | 16 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | — | W 8 | — | — | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | — | W 17 | W 7 | W 12 | W 12 | W 11 | W 16 | W 7 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 |
162 | — | 34 | — | — | 52 | 482 | 133 | 200 | 30 | — | 6 | 173 | 28 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 107 | 157 | 108 | 55 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | W 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 13 | — | — | W 16 | — | W 10 | — | W 15 | W 14 |
— | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | 5 | — | 45 | — | 17 | 15 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 14 | — | — | — |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | WSW 9 | WSW 6 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | NNW 6 | W 10 | W 10 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | — | W 8 | WSW 6 | W 7 | W 6 | — | — | — | — |
— | 162 | 82 | 302 | 303 | 247 | 27 | 402 | 284 | 254 | 210 | 248 | — | 135 | 160 | 148 | 166 | — | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 90 | 90 | 90 | 316 | 316 | 64 | 41 | 279 | 279 | 462 | 316 | 64 | 41 | 252 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 67 | 90 | 90 | 0 |
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.










