Crantock Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’.

Look, I’ll be straight with you—this stretch is a tough one. We’re staring down a long, dry spell with barely a ripple to get excited about for the first couple of weeks. The whole forecast is a bit of a flat spell, with only a tiny flicker of hope way out at the end. For a spot like Crantock, a river break that’s fairly consistent, this kind of blank run is a bit of a bummer, but it happens.

The water’s sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least a paddle won’t be a shock to the system.

We start off on Tuesday the 21st of July with junk. A tiny 1 ft swell from the WNW, but a stiff 9 to 16 mph cross-onshore wind from the north is just chopping it all up. Combined wave energy is a weak 66 to 72. Not worth a second look.

Wednesday the 22nd is more of the same: a bit more height, hitting 3 ft to 4 ft from the north, but the period is a pathetic 5 seconds and the wind is still a messy cross-onshore. Energy is still weak at 72 to 81. Poor conditions.

Thursday the 23rd teases us. The wind goes completely glassy in the morning, calm as can be. The swell drops to 3 ft from the NNW with a 6-second period, but the problem is the wave comment says “poor surf conditions.” The energy is only 65. It’s clean, but there’s just no push. Friday and Saturday are even smaller, with cross-onshore winds ruining the little bumps we get.

Then we hit a bit of a windswell spike. Sunday the 26th of July shows some size: 5 ft in the morning, 5 ft in the afternoon from the WNW, with a 7-second period. The combined energy jumps into the moderate range at 198 to 230. But—and it’s a big but—the wind is straight onshore at 16 to 19 mph from the NW. That’s going to be a bumpy, blown-out mess. Not for the faint-hearted, and definitely not for beginners.

Monday the 27th drops back to 3 ft with onshore winds. The whole first week is a write-off.

The second week stays pretty grim. Tuesday the 28th through to Sunday the 2nd of August is all tiny, cross-onshore slop. Swell rarely breaks 3 ft, and the periods are short. The combined energy is almost always below 100, often in the teens or twenties. It’s flat.

Now, here’s the one glimmer. Way out on Tuesday the 4th of August, we finally get something interesting. The wind swings offshore from the SSE at 16 mph in the morning, cleaning things up nicely. The swell is 2 ft from the west with an 8-second period, combined energy at 33—still weak, but the wind is right. Then in the afternoon, it gets a bit better: a 3 ft west swell, 7-second period, with a cross-offshore wind from the south at 19 mph. The energy jumps to 120 (moderate). The wave comment finally says “clean.” This is the best we’ll see.

Then Wednesday the 5th of August brings a bit more size: 4 ft to 5 ft from the west, 7-second period, with cross-shore winds. Energy hits 200 to 231—moderate—but there’s a risk of thunderstorms and the wind swings onshore in the afternoon. It’s a raw, lumpy option.

If I have to pick the standout, it’s that Tuesday the 4th of August afternoon. The cross-offshore wind and that 3 ft west swell should produce some clean, rideable lines at Crantock. It’s not big, but it’s the only clean window in the whole 16 days. The best on offer, but it’s a long way off and forecasts can change, so keep an eye on it.

Rusty.

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