Cornish Reef Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let's get into it. Right now we’re looking at a pretty grim run for the next week and a half. Cornish Reef is exposed to the west, which is the direction we want, but the wind is just going to be a nightmare for the foreseeable future. We’ve got heavy southwest winds, or strong westerlies, keeping things choppy and blown-out. You can pretty much write off the first ten days.

The water temp here is sitting at 61°F, which feels a touch warmer than usual for the time of year – not a massive difference, but something you might notice if you’re in a spring suit. The swell energy, when it does show, is all over the place. For Saturday the 12th, for example, the combined energy hits 1439, which is strong, but that cross-onshore wind just trashes it. It’s frustrating because there’s plenty of power there.

The first real glimmer of hope is on Sunday the 13th. We get a bit of a break from the wind. The morning session is looking clean with a light breeze out of the SSE, giving us cross-offshore conditions and a clean face on the 4 ft swell from the WSW. The energy is weak at 358, so it’s not going to be pumping, but it’s the only surfable moment that whole day. The afternoon goes back to a sloppy cross-on mess.

Then it’s back to poor conditions again until the 22nd of September. That Tuesday morning is the standout in this whole outlook. The wind is coming from the southeast at only 6 mph, blowing clean cross-offshore, and we’ve got a solid 6 ft west swell with a long period of 11 seconds. Combined energy is 658 – moderate, but with that wind, it’s going to look lovely. This is the one to pencil in. The sets will be a bit wider apart due to that long period, but the shape on the reef should be nice without the chop.

We’ve got another chance on the 23rd, Wednesday morning. A 6 ft swell from the WSW, period of 9 seconds, with a gentle southeast cross-off breeze. It’s clean, but the score and comment suggest it’s a bit marginal on the tide or conditions, so not the same quality as the day before.

And then, hold up – the 24th of September. The data shows a massive 15 ft swell with a 15-second period from the west. The combined energy is off the charts at 8088. The wind is light, the tide is good, but the comment is very clear: this is way too big for this break. 8 ft is the top end for experts, and this is almost double that. Unless you’re a big-wave charger on a proper gun, this is a day to sit on the cliff. The break will be a roaring, foamy mess for anyone on a normal shortboard.

Later in the run, on the 26th of September, we get a pair of glassy windows. That Saturday morning and afternoon both show glassy conditions with an 8 ft and a 6 ft west-southwest swell. The energy is high (1682 in the morning) and it’s glassy, so this is proper for experienced surfers only. The morning’s 8 ft is at the limit, but the afternoon’s 6 ft will be a beautiful, clean reef wave.

So, to wrap it up: Sit tight through the first ten days of wind. Your real targets are the morning of the 22nd of September for the cleanest, most user-friendly combo, and the morning of the 26th for the experts in glassy overhead conditions. The 24th is just too big.

Rusty.

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