Crackington Haven Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for the next couple of weeks here at Crackington Haven. It’s a bit of a tough stretch, I’m not gonna lie. The first week is a real struggle with the wind and the swell not lining up, but there’s a glimmer of hope right at the end of the forecast if you’re patient.

The main issue is that for most of the period, the wind is coming from the wrong quarter. We’ve got a lot of onshore and cross-onshore winds from the north, west, and northwest, which just ruins the shape. The swell is mostly windswell, with short periods around 7 to 9 seconds, so it’s all a bit weak and messy.

Thursday 20th August is a write-off. We’ve got a 5 ft to 6 ft swell from the west, but with a strong 19 mph wind from the WNW, it’s just a choppy, blown-out mess. The combined energy is moderate (445), but it’s not doing anyone any favours.

Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd are small and weak. The swell drops right off to 3 ft on Friday and then 2 ft on Saturday, with the combined energy falling to a weak 69. The water is still running warm—about 66°F much warmer than normal for this time of year—but the waves are just too small and the wind is all over the place.

Sunday 23rd through to Wednesday 27th is a proper flat spell. The swell barely pushes 0.7 ft to 2 ft, and the combined energy is in the low double digits, dropping to 11. That’s basically no surf. Even with a clean offshore wind on Tuesday 25th, the swell is too tiny to paddle into. It’s a frustrating gap of about five days with nothing worth getting wet for.

Thursday 28th August sees a bump in size, but it’s a dirty one. A 5 ft swell from the west with a 7-second period, and a 16 mph cross-onshore wind. The combined energy is moderate (205), but the conditions are poor. This is more of a kite surfing setup than a paddle surfing one, to be honest.

The end of the stretch gets interesting. Saturday 30th August has a massive 10 ft west swell rolling in, with a 10-second period. The combined energy jumps to a very strong 1416. But the wind is cross-shore, and the forecast says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. That’s a definite expert-only session, and even then, it’s going to be a beast. The morning looks cleaner, but the swell is just huge.

Sunday 31st August is still big, with 8 ft swell, but the wind is stronger and cross-onshore, so it’s lumpy and messy. The combined energy is still strong (1032).

The last few days into September and Thursday 3rd September see a return to the same old story: big swell but poor wind. The waves are there, but the quality is just not there. It’s a frustrating outlook, but that one morning on Saturday 30th August is the standout if you’re an expert looking for a real challenge. For everyone else, it’s a waiting game.

Keep your eyes on the forecasts, because it tends not to stay poor for long. But for now, it’s a tough one.

Rusty.

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