Crantock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let’s get into it. The next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for a proper surf, to be honest. For the first stretch, we’re going to be staring at a lot of onshore and cross-shore wind junk. The waves are mostly disorganised and weak. You are looking at a real dry spell until around the 15th, and even then, it’s just barely surfable. The standout window looks like it arrives on the 16th, but there are question marks, and then it builds again near the 23rd. Let’s break it down day by day.

Right out of the gate, the 9th and 10th are a write-off. We’ve got a moderate breeze pushing onshore, and the swell is all over the place with short, weak periods. The water temp is about average for this time of year, so no surprises there. Don’t even bother with a board. From the 11th through the 14th, it’s more of the same—messy, short-period swell and poor conditions. It’s the kind of stretch where you’d be better off cleaning your board or checking your wax stash.

Finally, on the morning of the 15th at Crantock, things ease up just a touch. The wind swings to a light cross-offshore, and the swell is around 3ft from the west with a period of 11 seconds. The combined energy is a weak 188. It’s clean, but very ordinary. We’re calling it a 1/10. It’s a surf, sure, but you’ll be fighting for every wave. For a sheltered river break like this, that faint hint of west in the swell is what you want.

Then it gets interesting. The 16th is where the magic could happen. Wednesday morning sees the wind turn fresh offshore from the southeast, and the swell jumps to 7ft from the west. The energy is moderate at 577, but the real story is the afternoon. The swell builds to 10ft from the west with a 10-second period, and the energy rockets to 1690, which is strong and powerful. The wind is a moderate cross-offshore from the southwest. The question is the tide. The notes say “questionable tide conditions,” so you’ll want to nail the timing. When it’s on, this will be the biggest, pullingest set of the whole run. At 10ft, this is strictly for experts. There’s no getting around that size. Crantock is a river break, and a long-period west swell here can be a bit of a freight train. If you’re not confident, just watch from the bank.

After that, it fades fast. The 17th and 18th are back to sloppy, choppy, cross-onshore junk. The swell drops, and the period tanks. Not worth the paddle. The 19th is another small hope, with a light offshore and clean conditions, but the swell is only 4ft and ordinary. A 1 out of 10. The 20th is more of the same with a cross-onshore wind.

Then we hit a proper dead patch. The 21st and 22nd are flat. The swell energy is basically nothing, under 105. Nothing to do but wait.

Looking into the second week, our eyes are on the 23rd. The morning shows a building WNW swell at 3ft with a very long 13-second period, but energy is moderate at 522. The wind is a light cross-offshore, so it will be glassy. The real promise is the afternoon, with the swell jumping to 8ft from the WNW and the energy strong at 1284. Clean conditions predicted with that cross-offshore breeze. This is another one for the experts, as the size gets serious and that long period will make it powerful. It’s promising, but a week and a half out, treat it as a possibility, not a promise. The 24th drops back down in size, so the 23rd afternoon is your best bet in that run.

So, bottom line: you’ve got one big day on the 16th, and another potential big one on the 23rd. The in-between is mostly flat or choppy. It’s not a great fortnight, but there are windows if you’re keen and experienced. This river spot will handle the west swell best when the wind is offshore. Keep your expectations low, but stay alert.

Rusty

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