Staying Home Sucks, home
Harbour of Paignton; Der Hafen von Paignton (Torbay, Devon, England)
Paignton. Photo: Jcg2006, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Paignton

Surf spot · UK

Is it worth the trip?

9Poor out of 100 for your dates

Stay home

Best on Fri 6: too small (2 ft swell at 4 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow

Each day of your trip, out of 100

Mon 2 · 4 out of 100

Swell
2 ft4 smushy
Energy
6kJ
Wind
NNE 14 kn
Temp
12°C

Tue 3 · 5 out of 100

Swell
2 ft5 smushy
Energy
19kJ
Wind
NNE 18 kn
Temp
12°C

Wed 4 · 6 out of 100

Swell
2 ft6 smushy
Energy
34kJ
Wind
ENE 22 kn
Temp
10°C

Thu 5 · 4 out of 100

Swell
2 ft5 smushy
Energy
19kJ
Wind
ENE 19 kn
Temp
12°C

Fri 6 · 22 out of 100

Swell
2 ft4 smushy
Energy
12kJ
Wind
NE 5 kn
Temp
11°C

Sat 7 · 11 out of 100

Swell
1 ft3 smushy
Energy
2kJ
Wind
N 7 kn
Temp
9°C

Sun 8 · 1 out of 100

Swell
under 1 ft4 s
Energy
0kJ
Wind
NW 3 kn
Temp
10°C

Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast

Forecast: next 10 days

Full forecast
  1. Sun 18, too small
  2. Mon 24, too small
  3. Tue 35, too small
  4. Wed 46, too small
  5. Thu 54, too small
  6. Fri 622, too small
  7. Sat 711, too small
  8. Sun 81, too small
  9. Mon 93, too small
  10. Tue 1012, too small

The spot in five facts

  • Faces Etakes swell from the E
  • Offshore: Wwind from the land
  • Beginner +who it suits
  • Works 3–14 ftof swell
  • Water 14 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots

Full forecast

every day, every number
Forecast and score for intermediate surfers at Paignton, each day
DayScore for intermediatesSwellEnergyWindTemp
Sun 1Nov8, too small1 ft3 smushy2 ft at break (est.)3kJwind from the north, 11 knots11°C
Mon 2Nov4, too small2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.)6kJwind from the north-north-east, 14 knots12°C
Tue 3Nov5, too small2 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.)19kJwind from the north-north-east, 18 knots12°C
Wed 4Nov6, too small2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.)34kJwind from the east-north-east, 22 knots10°C
Thu 5Nov4, too small2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.)19kJwind from the east-north-east, 19 knots12°C
Fri 6Nov22, too small2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.)12kJwind from the north-east, 5 knots11°C
Sat 7Nov11, too small1 ft3 smushy1 ft at break (est.)2kJwind from the north, 7 knots9°C
Sun 8Nov1, too smallunder 1 ft4 sunder 1 ft at break (est.)0kJwind from the north-west, 3 knots, offshore10°C
Mon 9Nov3, too small1 ft3 smushy1 ft at break (est.)1kJwind from the east-south-east, 10 knots13°C
Tue 10Nov12, too small2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.)8kJwind from the north-north-west, 9 knots11°C

Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More

Tide

  • Sun 1 NovLow 03:43 −1.4 mHigh 10:13 +1.4 mLow 16:23 −1.4 mHigh 23:03 +1.0 m
  • Mon 2 NovLow 04:43 −1.1 mHigh 11:33 +1.2 mLow 17:32 −1.2 m
  • Tue 3 NovHigh 00:37 +0.8 mLow 05:56 −0.9 mHigh 13:06 +1.1 mLow 18:54 −1.1 m

Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.

Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.

Map

the spot and its town

Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for intermediates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.

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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

More surf near here

2 places

About

the place in full, sources, credits

About Paignton

Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.

The spot faces E (94°), so it takes swell from the E. The wind blows offshore from the W (274°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 3–14 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 1.4 km out (1 in 139). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 9°C in March, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in July, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Paignton, 0.4 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot and 1 dive site.

Water about 14°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.

The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).

Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,250–US$2,320 each

about US$1,250–US$2,320 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, board and wetsuit.

Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.

How we worked it out 
Rough cost per person for this trip
WhatHow we worked it outEach
Flightsreturn ORD to EXT, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bagabout US$435–US$911
Taxiairport and back, sharedabout US$80–US$134
Stay6 nights, a mid-range double, sharedabout US$281–US$469
Food7 days eating outabout US$315–US$583
Board and wetsuit5 days, or about US$114 to fly your ownabout US$134–US$228
Totalabout US$1,250–US$2,320

For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.

Where to stay: 3 towns

Closest

Paignton

1 min by car · 170 places to stay

about US$107/nightcountry average

See 170 places to stay in Paignton · Booking.com

About Paignton its beds, food and every spot near it

About US$107 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.

Getting there: about 16h 30m

About 16h 30m door to door from Chicago

Fly ORD → EXT, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB), then 55 min by road

An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.