Crantock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve stared at this forecast for a while and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a pretty grim stretch for Crantock. We’ve got a solid 16-day window ahead, but honestly, there’s barely a moment where I’d be keen to paddle out. The first real chance of anything ridable doesn’t show up until Saturday the 24th of July, and even then, it’s ordinary.

The whole first week is a write-off. From Monday the 13th right through to Friday the 23rd, we’re looking at tiny, weak swell with periods under 10 seconds, and the wind is mostly cross or cross-on, chopping everything up. There’s a few glassy mornings on the 18th and 19th, but with swell heights down around 2ft and combined energy barely breaking 30 (31 on the 18th morning, 15 on the 19th morning), it’s just flat. Not worth the drive.

Now, into the last day of the first week, things start to change. Friday the 24th of July finally sees a bit of life. The swell jumps to 4ft in the morning and 5ft in the afternoon, coming from the W with a period of 6 to 7 seconds. The combined energy climbs to 182 and then 279 – that’s moderate to strong energy, but it’s a messy, short-period windswell. The wind is cross-on from the W, so it’s gonna be choppy. The forecast says "poor surf conditions" and a score of 0, so I’m not hyped.

The pick of the entire run, if you can call it that, is Saturday the 25th of July. The morning brings a 3ft W swell, period of 8 seconds, with a cross-offshore breeze from the ESE (10 mph). The combined energy is 137 (moderate), and the water temp is a notable 65° – that’s 5° warmer than usual, so it’s much warmer than normal for this time of year. The waves are described as "surfable but very ordinary conditions" with a score of 1. It’s the best we’ve got, but it’s still not great. Crantock is a river mouth, sheltered, fairly consistent, and picks up swell from the W, which is what we’re getting. Crowds are listed as "often", so you won’t be alone. The morning is the only window here; the afternoon drops back to 3ft and the energy fades.

After that, Sunday the 26th gets hammered by a near gale from the ESE at 31-34 mph, making it near impossible to paddle into. The 27th of July sees a 7ft NW swell (period 7 seconds, energy 342), but it’s cross-on from the WSW and still messy. That’s big enough for experienced surfers only, but the quality is poor. The 28th of July has a 4ft W swell with a fresh cross-off wind, but the energy is only 129 and the period is short.

So, bottom line: there’s no standout session here. If you’re desperate, Saturday the 25th of July morning is your only real shot, with clean, 3ft waves, but it’s ordinary. The rest is a long, flat, or choppy wait. Because Crantock is fairly consistent normally, this blank run feels a bit unusual, but forecasts can change. For now, I’d keep the board in the car and the expectations low.

Rusty.

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