Crantock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what Crantock’s got cooking for us over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a bit of a lean run for paddle surfing, but there are a couple of moments worth keeping an eye on.

First off, the water temp is sitting at a toasty 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Nice.

The outlook starts with a bit of a dud. We kick off on Wednesday the 5th of August with a 5 ft W swell, but it’s getting torn up by a 16 mph cross-on wind. The energy is moderate (213), but the conditions are pure chop. No good for a surf. That theme pretty much holds through the first week. We’ve got a handful of days with tiny waist-high or smaller leftovers – mostly 1 ft to 3 ft – and the wind is either on it or cross-on. The swell periods stay short, mostly under 9 seconds, so it’s all weak and wind-affected. There’s a brief moment on Saturday the 8th of August afternoon where it goes totally glassy with 1 ft from the WSW, but there’s just no push to it. You’d be bobbing around.

Things finally perk up a bit on the morning of Wednesday the 12th of August. We get a pulse of 3 ft swell from the west with a 10-second period. The combined energy is moderate (123), and the wind is a light cross-shore. It’s small but it’s your first legit chance of a rideable wave in a while. Saturday the 15th and Sunday the 16th are a write-off again with messy wind.

Now, Monday the 17th of August is where it gets interesting, but you have to be wary. The swell jumps to 5 ft to 6 ft from the west, with a long period of 9-10 seconds. The wave energy jumps right up to strong (414) on the morning and very strong (643) by the afternoon. The problem? The wind is a fresh cross-onshore. It’s going to be lumpy and choppy, borderline blown out. For a river break like this, that combo is not going to give you much in the way of clean walls.

The real standout, and the only one I’d get excited about, is Thursday the 20th of August. We’ve got a solid 7 ft swell from the west-northwest with an 8-second period. The energy is very strong (558 to 568). But the kicker is the wind: it’s blowing cross-offshore from the south-southwest. That means clean surfaces. This size swell at Crantock is going to be for experienced surfers only – over 8 ft is expert territory, but 7 ft is still a serious paddle and will push through fast. It’s a genuine opportunity for a proper session if you’ve got the skill. This is your best bet in the whole 16-day window. Keep in mind, for a beginner, anything over 5 ft is pushing it. Crantock is fairly consistent, so a total blank is rare; we’ve just had a lot of bad luck with the wind direction.

So, there you have it. A long flat and choppy stretch, then a clean but hefty day on the 20th. Stay keen.

- Rusty

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