Crantock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, I’ve looked at the charts for the next couple of weeks, and I gotta be straight with you – it’s a tough run for Crantock. The whole 16-day window is looking pretty grim for any real quality surf. There’s nothing in the near-term that’s going to get the heart pumping, and even the longer-range stuff looks like it’s gonna be blown out or just plain weak.

Right from the start, Monday the 20th through the 20th of July, we’ve got tiny, messy waves. The swell is weak and the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, making a mess of things. You’re looking at 2ft to 2ft of swell from the N or WNW, with a combined energy that’s barely registering (35-42). That’s not surf, that’s a lake with a slight ripple.

Tuesday the 21st and Wednesday the 22nd are more of the same – a bit more size, up to 4ft, but the wind is howling from the N and NNE at 15-25 km/h, straight onshore or cross-on. The period is a short, weak 5 seconds, so it’s all chop and no push. The energy is still weak (78-93). It’s just a mess.

We get a bit of a gap around Thursday the 23rd morning, where the wind goes light and cross-off from the ESE, but the swell is still only 3ft with a 6-second period and a combined energy of just 63. It’s clean, but there’s nothing to ride. The afternoon gets chopped up again.

From Friday the 24th through to the end of the first week, it’s a proper write-off. By Saturday the 25th, the wind swings to a strong 30 km/h onshore from the WNW, and the swell is weak and short. The energy is still just 95-104. It’s just not happening.

The only real swell energy we see is on Sunday the 26th of July, where the combined energy jumps to 439 and 308, with 7ft and 6ft of swell from the W. But the period is a short 7 seconds, and the wind is a brutal 30 km/h onshore from the NNW. The wave comment says “poor surf conditions,” and it’s true. That amount of onshore wind with that short of a period will just be a close-out, blown-out mess. It’s not for beginners at 7ft, and even for experts, the wind will make it a battle. The setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The second week, from the 27th of July to the 4th of August, is a rinse and repeat. We get some pulses of 3ft to 4ft swell, but the period is always short (6-7 seconds) and the wind is almost always onshore or cross-on from the NNW or WNW. The energy is mostly moderate (96-163), but it’s all messy. The water temperature is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

So, what’s the best on offer? Honestly, there’s no standout. The only session that might be worth a look is the morning of Thursday the 23rd of July. The wind is light and cross-off from the ESE, so the surface will be clean. But the swell is a tiny 3ft from the N with a 6-second period, and the combined energy is only 63. It’s a micro-session, but for a log or a foamy, it might be the only window where you’re not fighting the wind. Crantock is a river mouth, so it’s sheltered, but it’s also a bit inconsistent. With that small, weak swell, it’s a gamble.

Other than that, it’s a blank run. It’s one of those stretches where the forecasts can change, but right now, I’d be looking at other plans for the next two weeks.

Stay frothy, but maybe not this week.
Rusty.

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