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Paignton
Surf spot · UK
Is it worth the trip?
9Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: too small (2 ft swell at 4 s), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
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- Sun 18, too small
- Mon 24, too small
- Tue 35, too small
- Wed 46, too small
- Thu 54, too small
- Fri 622, too small
- Sat 711, too small
- Sun 81, too small
- Mon 93, too small
- 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
Paignton does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 1Nov | 8, too small | 1 ft3 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 3kJ | wind from the north, 11 knots | 11°C |
| Mon 2Nov | 4, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 6kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 14 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 5, too small | 2 ft5 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 19kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 18 knots | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 34kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 22 knots | 10°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 4, too small | 2 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 19kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 19 knots | 12°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 22, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 12kJ | wind from the north-east, 5 knots | 11°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 11, too small | 1 ft3 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 2kJ | wind from the north, 7 knots | 9°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 1, too small | under 1 ft4 sunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 0kJ | offshorewind from the north-west, 3 knots, offshore | 10°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft3 smushy1 ft at break (est.) | 1kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 10 knots | 13°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 12, too small | 2 ft4 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 8kJ | wind from the north-north-west, 9 knots | 11°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
Paignton on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: 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
- Preston Beach 1.5 km away
- Lip T 13.3 km away
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
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to EXT, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$435–US$911 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$80–US$134 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$281–US$469 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$134–US$228 |
| Total | about 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
1 min by car · 170 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Paignton its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Teignmouth on Booking.com
23 min by car · 43 places to stay
- Beds in Salcombe on Booking.com
46 min by car · 36 places to stay
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
Flights ORD → EXT on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.