Crantock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a look at what’s in store for the next couple of weeks at Crantock. I’ve got to be straight with you – this isn’t looking like a classic run of waves. The river mouth setup is a tricky one, and the forecast is serving up a lot of wind issues and sloppy conditions. Strap in.

The first one to look at is Crantock (river). The whole run kicks off quietly on Tuesday the 11th with a weak 1 ft WNW swell, but the energy is minimal (29), and honestly, the models are calling it poor surf. The water temperature is 66°, which is a touch warmer than normal for the time of year, so at least it’s not a shock to the system. We get a few days of small, weak swell with periods under 10 seconds, and the winds are all over the place – cross, cross-on, onshore – leaving the surf ordinary at best. Wednesday the 12th afternoon sees a tiny bump with 3 ft from the west and a light cross-offshore breeze, which might clean it up a little, but the energy is still only moderate (139). Not a standout.

Thursday the 13th brings a bigger pulse of 4 ft swell from the west with moderate energy (272), but the onshore wind from the NNW makes it a write-off. Friday the 14th is more of the same: messy and choppy. The weekend is a write-off too, with small, weak windswell and onshore conditions. The whole first week is a real struggle for any sort of quality.

So, what’s the pick? Honestly, nothing in the first 10 days is a true standout. The best on offer is a bit of a stretch. Look at Wednesday the 19th morning. There’s a 4 ft swell from the west, and the wind is from the south at 12 mph, giving a cross-offshore breeze. The combined energy is moderate (148), and the conditions are described as clean. The swell period is a short 7 seconds, so it won’t have much push, but it’s the cleanest window we get in a long stretch of poor surf. Don’t expect much consistency, but it’s the most surfable moment.

The forecast gets a bit more interesting in the second week, but it’s not for the faint-hearted. A big stormy period kicks in around Sunday the 23rd with a 6 ft SW swell, but the wind is howling. Then, Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th see a massive pulse of swell – 12 ft and 10 ft from the west, with very strong combined energy (1970 and 1367). That’s expert territory for sure, way too big for beginners. The problem is, the wind is screaming at 28 mph from the WNW, making it cross-onshore and messy. The period is short, 8-10 seconds, so it’s a windswell. For a sheltered river mouth like Crantock, this setup is going to be a washing machine. Honestly, this looks more interesting for the kite surfers than paddle surfing. The swell drops through the end of the week, but the wind stays a problem.

To wrap it up: there’s a long gap of nearly 10 days of sub-par surf before anything worth paddling out for, and even then, the best window is average. The big energy at the end is there, but it’s not clean. Patience is the name of the game.

Rusty.

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