Crantock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at the forecast for Crantock. It’s a bit of a mixed bag coming up, but let’s be honest, the first week is looking pretty grim. The water temp is sitting at 64°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so that’s a small win if you’re in a wetsuit.

We’re starting off on Wednesday the 2nd of September with a bit of light rain and a cross-off wind, but don’t get excited. The swell is small and weak at 4ft from the WSW, with a short, weak period of 6 seconds. The combined energy is only 150, so it’s weak. The reports say poor surf conditions, and I’m with them. That continues through Thursday and Friday; the wind is messy, and the swell is just not doing anything for us.

Then we get a bit of a tease on Saturday the 5th. The wind goes glassy, dead calm, and the swell drops to 4ft from the west with a period of 10 seconds. The energy is moderate at 289. It’s surfable, but the reports say it’s very ordinary. It’s clean, but there’s just not enough power in it to get excited about.

Sunday the 6th is a write-off. Swell drops to 2ft with an energy of only 64. That’s a no-go.

Monday the 7th, we see a jump in size. The morning shows 6ft from the west, with a period of 12 seconds and a strong energy of 1005. Sounds good, right? Wrong. The wind is cross-onshore and choppy, so it’s going to be a messy, lumpy ocean. The same story continues through Tuesday and Wednesday of that week.

Now, here’s the thing. The best of the whole 16-day window looks like it’s going to be on Monday the 14th of September. The morning shows a 6ft west swell with a 10-second period, and a moderate combined energy of 706. But the standout part is the wind: it’s a clean offshore from the SSE, so the faces should be clean. The reports say expect good surf conditions. That’s the one day to circle on your calendar. Tuesday the 15th also has a big swell, 6ft from the west-northwest, with a very long period of 13 seconds and a strong energy of 1075, but the wind is cross-onshore, so it’s likely to be choppy.

The later part of the run, around the 11th and 12th of September, sees some big numbers. The 11th has an 8ft west swell with an energy of 1031, and by the afternoon it’s 10ft. That’s expert territory, but the wind is cross-on or onshore, so the quality is poor. The 12th has a 8ft swell from the west-northwest with a period of 11 seconds and a massive 1267 energy, plus a clean cross-off wind. That’s a powerful, clean swell, but it’s big, so only for the experienced crew.

Overall, the first week is a bust. You’re looking at a solid 5 or 6 days of nothing worthwhile. The only real standout, the one I’d be waiting for, is the morning of Monday the 14th of September. That’s your best bet for a clean, decent-sized wave. It’s a river mouth, so it can handle a bit of size, and with that offshore wind, it should be peeling nicely.

That’s the long and short of it. Keep your eyes on the charts, and don’t blow the whole day on the 14th.

Rusty.

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