Cable Bay (Porth Trecastell) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for this stretch. I’m gonna level with you – the first week and a half is a real struggle. We’re looking at a long dry spell starting now, with a gap of about 12 days before anything worth paddling out for shows up. From Friday 10 July through to late Wednesday 22 July, it’s practically flat. You’ll see tiny little bumps here and there – a few 0.3 ft to 0.7 ft pulses – but with combined energy stuck at zero or single digits, it’s not even worth strapping the board on the roof. The wind is mostly offshore, which is a tease, but there’s just no push.

The first real flicker of life comes on Wednesday 22 July morning. Cable Bay (Porth Trecastell) starts to see a bit of a pulse: a 6 ft swell from the WNW, with a short period of 6 seconds. Combined energy hits 217 (moderate), which is something. The wind is cross-off from the NNW at 12 mph, so it’ll be clean enough. But that short period means it’ll be a bit lumpy and soft, not your classic lined-up wave. It’s still a bit marginal – the data flags it as questionable tide conditions – so it’s more of a hopeful paddle than a standout. By the afternoon, it drops back to 5 ft and 117 energy, so the morning is your best bet.

Then we get a bit of a wait again. The real standout arrives on Friday 24 July morning. This is the one to circle. A solid 8 ft swell from the SW, with a period of 7 seconds, pushing combined energy to 588 (strong). That’s a fair bit of grunt. However, the wind is cross-on from the S at just 3 mph, so it’s light and won’t wreck it too bad, but it’s not glassy. That 8 ft is getting into the size where it’s more suited to experienced surfers – beginners will find it a handful. The swell direction (SW) is a good match for the optimum direction for this spot. The water temperature is 61°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s a comfortable 3° above the average. The crowd factor here is “sometimes”, so you might have a few others out, but nothing mad. Still, the quality is marginal due to the cross-on wind and the short period, so it’s not a perfect day, just the best of a quiet run.

By Saturday 25 July, it’s already dropping back to 5 ft to 5 ft with stronger onshore winds, so that window is tight.

Honestly, if you’ve got the patience, the morning of Friday 24 July is the only real shout. Go in with moderate expectations, but it’s the best we’ve got.

Rusty.

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