Crantock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Let’s be straight with you – the next two weeks at Crantock are a grim watch for anyone looking to paddle out. From now right through until the end of the month, every single session is marked as poor surf conditions. That’s about a 16-day dry spell with nothing worth recommending. Not a single window opens up where you’d want to be in the water.

We kick off Tuesday 14th July with a tiny 2ft swell from the north, a weak period of 6 seconds, and a measly combined energy of just 84. The wind is a cross-off from the ENE at 12 mph, so it’s clean-looking but there’s zero push. Wednesday and Thursday are more of the same – swells under 2ft, periods under 6 seconds, and energy dropping into the 30s and 40s. Friday 17th brings a glassy morning with 2ft from the NNW and a 6-second period, energy at 47, but that’s all the clean conditions can offer because there’s no power behind it.

The weekend gets worse. Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th see the wind swinging onshore from the north at 19 mph, turning what little bump there is into lumpy, choppy mess. Swell bumps up to 4ft on Sunday morning, but it’s a 5-second period with 76 energy – weak and wind-affected. If you’re a kite surfer, that cross-onshore breeze and slight push might get you planing, but for a paddle surfer, it’s a hard pass.

After a brief clean spell Monday 20th morning (2ft, 6 seconds, 33 energy), the wind turns back onshore and stays there. Tuesday 21st is clean but tiny – 1ft. The rest of that week through Thursday 24th is all cross-onshore or onshore winds, tiny waves under 2ft, and energy readings barely cracking double digits. It’s flat and blown out.

Now, here’s the only flicker of hope, and it’s a long way off. On Saturday 25th July, we see a change: a 2ft swell from the west-northwest with a 12-second period – that’s a proper groundswell – and combined energy hits 121, which is moderate. Wind is light cross-onshore from the WNW at 6 mph, so it’ll be a little rippled but workable. The water temperature is about average for the time of year. This is the best on offer, but it’s still a poor surf conditions rating and the swell is small. For beginners, it’s okay – under 5ft – but the long period means it’ll likely close out at a beach setup like Crantock. It’s more suited to a point or reef, but we’re stuck with the river mouth here.

Sunday 26th sees a jump in energy to 372 on the morning with a 5ft swell from the west, but the period drops to 8 seconds and the wind fires up to 19 mph onshore from the northwest. Lumpy and messy. Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th bring the biggest swell of the period – 7ft and 6ft from the west on Monday, then 5ft on Tuesday – with combined energy hitting 520 and 422. That’s strong wave energy. But the period is short (8–10 seconds) and winds are cross-shore or cross-off at 19–22 mph, creating lumpy cross-chop. That 7ft swell is over 5ft, so it’s pushing into intermediate territory, but the quality is ruined by wind. Only experts would even look at it, and even then, the conditions are poor.

Wednesday 29th morning shows the biggest swell – 7ft from the west, 8-second period, 650 energy – but it’s crossed up with a 19 mph cross-shore wind and lumpy chop. That’s very strong wave energy, but it’s not surfable in any quality sense. For kite surfers, that combo of wind and punchy swell would be a dream. For a surfer, it’s a write-off.

Bottom line: there is no standout day. The Saturday 25th morning is the closest you’ll get to something rideable, but it’s still a marginal call. The long-range bumps on the 27th–29th are promising in size but the wind ruins every single one. If you’re in the area, keep the board in the car and wait for the next forecast. It’s a rare blank run, but it does happen – the consistency here is only “fairly consistent,” so these gaps are part of the deal.

Rusty.

Read more