Crantock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you. The next couple of weeks at Crantock are looking rough, real rough. If you were hoping for a clean, classic Cornish wave, you’re going to be disappointed. The whole period is plagued by onshore and cross-onshore winds and lumpy, messy conditions. There is a lot of water moving around, but it’s mostly going to be a washing machine out there.

The first few days are a write-off. Wednesday and Thursday have some size, but it’s coming in with a fresh cross-onshore breeze, making it poor surf. Friday and Saturday see smaller waves, but the wind is still on it, chopping everything up. Sunday drops right off, and we’re looking at ankle-biters; not worth the walk.

We then have a few days of almost nothing. Monday and Tuesday of next week are tiny, with only a light breeze and some cleaner conditions, but the swell is basically dead. It’s a real gap in the action. The middle of next week, around the 25th and 26th, shows a bit of a pulse, but it’s still cross-on and lumpy, so it’s not the one.

Now, there is one moment that stands out from the rest. On Thursday the 27th, we see a bump in the energy levels and a light cross-shore wind in the morning. The period jumps up to 11 seconds, and the combined energy reads 954, which is the strongest we’ve seen all week. It's still a messy cross-shore, and the quality is only marginal, so you’d be going out for gutless lumps, not clean lines. It's a possible, not a standout.

After that, it’s back to the poor surf, with the wind staying onshore and the waves getting messy again. The weekend of the 30th and 31st sees the swell really build, but it’s all onshore and rough. By the 31st, we’re looking at 13ft of wind-blown slop, which is a full-on washing machine. There's some real energy there, with values in the mid-3000s, but it's not for the faint-hearted. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so you’ll be fine in a summer suit. The winds are just too strong and onshore to make any of this worth it. To be honest, the setup looks more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle surfers, especially with the big onshore swells and strong winds.

We have a bit of a cleanup on the 2nd and 3rd of September as the wind swings offshore, but the swell is still significant and the period is short, creating messy, lumpy waves. It’s not a lineup you’ll want to be in unless you’re an expert, and even then, it's a struggle. So, the long and short of it is: don't get your hopes up. The surf is poor for the whole 16 days. We get some size, but the quality just isn't there.

Rusty.

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