Crantock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, it’s Rusty here, and I’ve had a good look at what’s on the cards for Crantock over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a tough stretch. The forecast is lean, with a lot of poor surf conditions and a real lack of quality. We’ve got a 16-day window, but the first real glimmer of hope doesn’t pop up until a good week and a half in. Let’s break it down.

The overall pattern is one of small, weak swells and tricky winds. For the first week and a half, from Saturday the 1st of August right through to Tuesday the 11th of August, it’s a total write-off. The combined swell energy is barely registering, often under 100 (like 56, 36, 99), and the swell heights are tiny, generally 2 ft or less. The wind is all over the shop – cross-onshore, onshore, and just messy. You’ll be fighting chop and wind bumps, not riding waves. There’s a brief moment on Monday the 3rd of August morning with glassy conditions and a 3 ft WSW swell, but the energy is still weak (99) and the period is short at 8 seconds, so it’s not going to produce anything worth paddling out for. It’s a blank run, and for this area, that’s not unusual.

The scene finally changes on Wednesday the 12th of August. That morning, we finally get a proper look. The weather is clear, with a light offshore breeze from the SE at 6 mph. The swell is 3 ft from the west, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 146 (moderate), and the conditions are described as "clean." This is the first surfable window in the whole forecast. The west swell direction is a good match for Crantock’s optimum, and the offshore wind will clean it right up. It’s a small wave, good for a beginner, but a proper longboard or funboard session is on the cards. The water temperature is 65°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you’ll be comfortable in a spring suit.

After that, it’s a bit of a mixed bag again. The Thursday and Friday look average with cross-onshore winds, but then we get to Sunday the 16th of August. On Sunday morning, despite the clouds, we have a clean cross-offshore wind from the ENE at 12 mph. The swell is 5 ft from the WNW with a period of 6 seconds, which is short and weak for that size. The combined energy is 171 (moderate), but with that short period, it’s going to be a bit lumpy and less powerful. The afternoon sees the swell bump up to 5 ft, but the wind swings to a moderate cross-onshore, making it choppy.

So, the standout here is Wednesday the 12th of August. It’s the only real window of clean, surfable waves in the whole 16-day outlook. The morning will be the pick, with the offshore wind and that 3 ft west swell. It’s not a bomb, but it’s clean and rideable. The other days are either too small, too windy, or just plain messy. Keep an eye on the forecast, because it tends not to stay poor for long, but for now, pencil in that Wednesday morning session.

Rusty.

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