Surf Forecasts:
Woolacombe surf forecast from 12 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 12 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s period, W swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 1AM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 7s period, W swell with 302 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 12 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2ft (0.6m), 10s 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 Wednesday (Aug 12) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.6m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Woolacombe in the next 16 days are 1.7m 7s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 1AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Wednesday (Aug 12) at 10AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Wed 12th Aug) | 2ft (0.6m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 1AM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Woolacombe over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Woolacombe.
Well, I gotta be straight with you – this 16-day window is a real mixed bag, and honestly, it's mostly a bust. The only spot that's even worth a mention is Woolacombe itself, a beach and reef setup that's fairly exposed to the swell. But even that's a struggle. The good news is we've got a consistent wave source, but the bad news is the wind just won't play ball for most of it.
The first real chance to wet a line comes on Wednesday morning, the 12th of August. We're looking at a clean 2ft swell from the west, with a period around 10 seconds. The big draw here is a light offshore wind from the east, which should keep things glassy and tidy. The combined energy is weak (73), so it's not going to be a powerhouse, but for a small wave cruiser, it’s about as good as it gets in this forecast. The water temp is about average for this time of year.
After that, it's a long, hard slog. From Wednesday afternoon all the way through to the 27th of August, the forecast is just a sea of red flags. The wind is mostly onshore, cross-onshore, or just plain strong, turning what little swell there is into a choppy, lumpy mess. There are a few pulses of bigger swell—like 5ft on the 19th and 7ft on the 20th—but the wind is howling onshore. For a beach and reef setup like this, with that kind of wind and size, it's honestly looking more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle folks. The energy in that big swell on the 20th is moderate (634), but it's all for nothing with the wind.
The only other slightly interesting moment is the morning of the 27th of August, where we get a 8ft swell from the west. The combined energy jumps to a strong 798, but again, the wind is a fresh cross-onshore breeze. It's going to be a lumpy, difficult session, definitely one for experienced surfers only, and even then, it'll be a battle.
So, the bottom line: your best bet is Wednesday morning, the 12th of August. It's small, it's clean, and it's your only real window. After that, expect a long gap of poor conditions until the very end of the forecast, and even then, it's a gamble. Forecasts can change, but right now, it’s looking grim.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 30°C on Wed morning, min 18°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Very mild (max 19°C on Sun afternoon, min 13°C on Sat night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Sat afternoon, calm by Mon morning). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday 12 | Thursday 13 | Friday 14 | Saturday 15 | Sunday 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | NNW 5 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | NNW 4 | W 7 | W 18 | W 8 | W 6 | W 6 | W 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 73 | 94 | 110 | 187 | 127 | 151 | 79 | 76 | 84 | 43 | 57 | 39 | 11 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 21 | 88 | 139 | 302 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | off | cross-on | glassy | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 6:28AM8.73m | 6:49PM9.19m | 7:17AM9.16m | 7:36PM9.55m | 8:02AM9.38m | 8:19PM9.66m | 8:42AM9.37m | 8:59PM9.53m | 9:19AM9.15m | 9:35PM9.21m | 9:53AM8.77m | 10:07PM8.73m | 10:24AM8.29m | 10:39PM8.16m | |||||||
Low Tide | 12:31PM1.06m | 1:04AM0.75m | 1:19PM0.70m | 1:50AM0.52m | 2:02PM0.56m | 2:31AM0.51m | 2:40PM0.63m | 3:06AM0.72m | 3:14PM0.88m | 3:37AM1.09m | 3:44PM1.26m | 4:05AM1.56m | 4:14PM1.74m | ||||||||
 | |  |  | |  | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |
 | 5:56 | — | — | 5:58 | — | — | 6:00 | — | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — |
 | — | 8:45 | — | — | 8:43 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:38 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 30 | 30 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 19 | 17 |
Feels °C | 26 | 28 | 24 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | WSW 10 | WSW 9 | WSW 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WSW 7 | WSW 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 7 | W 8 | WSW 7 | W 17 | W 7 |
| kJ | 73 | 94 | 110 | 187 | 127 | 151 | 79 | 76 | 84 | 43 | 57 | 29 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 21 | 18 | 6 | 302 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | ESE 3 | — | — | — | WNW 4 | — | — | — | — | — | W 8 | W 7 | — | W 7 | NNW 3 | W 18 | W 3 | W 17 | — | SW 17 |
| kJ | — | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 10 | — | 4 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 5 | — | 12 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | W 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 2 | SE 3 | — | — | — | — | W 4 | W 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 4 | NNW 5 | NNW 5 | NNW 4 | NW 3 | NNW 4 | — | — | — | W 6 | W 6 | — |
| kJ | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 6 | 10 | 34 | 54 | 39 | 10 | 2 | 11 | — | — | — | 88 | 139 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 0 | 49 | 0 | 12 | 279 | 41 | 41 | 56 | 96 | 369 | 355 | 250 | 377 | 420 | 420 | 402 | 310 | 78 | 78 | 140 | 376 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Devon | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
- Map Icons:
Break
Live Wave Height (m)
Live Wind Speed (km/h)
Surf Rating (10 Max)
Ocean Swells (m)- Wind Speed (km/h)
Latest Updates
FREE! Surf-Forecast.com widget for your website
The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Woolacombe surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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.
Nearest