Falmouth - Swanpool Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let me level with you straight up: the next 16 days for Falmouth - Swanpool look pretty grim for a proper paddle. The data’s all in front of me, and there’s a massive gap of nothing happening right through until the 12th of August with just tiny dribbles of unridable mush. There’s one little window that might get your heart beating, but it’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment.

From now until Wednesday the 12th, it’s a write-off. The swell is tiny, and the wind is junk. Saturday morning (the 8th) we’ve got a weak 0.3 ft swell from the SW at 7 seconds, but a 12 mph ESE wind is ruining it. The energy is a paltry 4 (combined energy of all swells directed here). It’s just poor surf conditions. That theme carries on through the weekend and into the start of the week. Monday the 10th’s afternoon goes glassy, but there’s still only 1 ft of weak SW swell—zero push.

Tuesday the 11th gets a bump in wind, but it’s onshore fresh from the East at 22 mph, making a lumpy 5 ft mess. The energy climbs to 176 (combined energy of all swells directed here), but it’s a choppy, blown-out disaster. Not for paddling, more for the kite crew if you’re into that.

The standout—and I mean the only real chance—is the morning of Thursday the 13th of August. The wind goes light and offshore from the North at 9 mph, cleaning it right up. The swell is 4 ft from the WSW with a decent 11-second period, giving it some proper groundswell energy (310 combined energy of all swells directed here). The break is fairly exposed to the SW, and the optimum swell direction is SW, so this lines up nicely. The water temp is about average for this time of year. The crowd factor is “often” at Swanpool, so you’ll likely have company, but for a beginner-friendly spot that’s fairly consistent, this is the best on offer. The energy is moderate, and the waves will be clean and rideable. It’s not huge, but it’s the only good surf in the whole window.

After that little spike, it drops right back to tiny, weak dribble from the 14th onward. Thursday afternoon the 13th and all of Friday the 14th see the swell plummet to 0.3 ft or 0.7 ft, even with offshore winds, and the energy drops to single digits. The rest of the month is a desert of 0.3 ft to 0.7 ft swells, mostly from the SSW or SW, with periods all over the place but no power to speak of. The wind is often offshore or clean, but there’s just no swell to work with.

So, the honest truth: if you’re desperate, get on the morning of the 13th. Otherwise, it’s a long, flat wait. The area tends to have quiet spells, so this isn’t too unusual.

Rusty.

Read more