Carbis Bay Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get real about the surf here. It’s a tough stretch ahead. The next week and a half looks flat and pretty much a write-off. We’re looking at a long, frustrating gap before any proper waves show up. The only spot in the game is Carbis Bay, and even then, it’s a waiting game for a pulse of energy near the end.

So, the story is: for the first nine days, there’s nothing. Barely a ripple worth paddling for. Swell heights stay under 3 feet, periods are short, and the wind is mostly cross or onshore, keeping things messy or flat. The combined energy numbers are tiny – stuck in the 20s and 30s for days, which is just weak. You’ll see a couple of glassy windows on Monday the 3rd afternoon and Tuesday the 4th afternoon, but with only around 1.5 feet of swell and a WSW direction that isn’t even ideal for this spot, it’s still a total scratch session. The water temperature is sitting at 64.6°F with an anomaly of 2.3°F, so a touch warmer than normal for the time of year, but that’s no comfort when you’re bobbing around on flat water.

Then, the tide starts to turn around the end of the first week of August. Thursday the 6th afternoon sees a jump to around 5.5 feet, but it’s got a short period of 6 seconds and comes in from the SSW – not matching the optimum direction – so even though the energy jumps to 236, it’s still written off as poor conditions. The real standout window arrives on Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Friday morning (7th August) we’ve got over 8 feet of WNW swell with an 8-second period, and the combined energy jumps to 924 – that’s getting into strong territory. The wind is a light cross-offshore breeze from the WNW, keeping it clean. By the afternoon it’s even bigger: nearly 10 feet from the W, a 9-second period, and energy at 1247 – very strong. That’s proper surf, but a word of caution. At that size, over 8 feet, it’s firmly in the experts-only zone. Beginners, stay out of the water that day. The wind stays light and cross-off, so it should be pretty good shape-wise for those who can handle it.

Into Saturday morning (8th August), it’s still solid at around 7 feet from the west, and the wind swings to a glassy light air from the NE. That’s as clean as it gets. The energy is still strong at 816. The afternoon drops off to 5 feet and goes onshore, so the morning is clearly your window.

After that, it fades quickly. By the 9th through the 13th, we’re back to weak, poor-quality surf with onshore winds and lumpy conditions. The energy drops back into the double and low triple digits. So, if you’re waiting for a wave, your best bet – really the only standout in the whole 16-day window – is the Friday and Saturday of the second week. That Friday morning through Saturday morning is the peak. Keep in mind, long-range forecasts like this are promising but come with less certainty, so keep an eye on it.

Crowds at Carbis Bay can be an issue sometimes, and given this is the only decent pulse in weeks, you can expect it to be busy. It’s a fairly exposed spot, but with the swell coming from the optimum WNW direction on Friday, that’s a good match.

So, in short: a long, flat wait, then a short, punchy window for experienced surfers right at the beginning of the second weekend of August. Don’t hold your breath for much else.

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