Maenporth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, let me break down the next couple of weeks for you.

To be honest, mate, it’s a pretty bleak run for most of the 16 days. There’s a huge gap at the start with hardly anything worth paddling out for. For the first nine days, from Monday the 17th right through to Tuesday the 25th, the surf is tiny – we’re talking ankle-biters, 0.3ft to 1ft, with no real juice. The water’s at 66°, which is a tad warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s about the only highlight. Winds are often cross-off or offshore, which would be great if there was any swell to work with, but there isn’t.

Things start to perk up on Wednesday the 26th. The swell finally shows, but it’s rough around the edges. Wednesday morning the 26th brings 7ft from the WSW, but it’s a short-period windswell (8 seconds) and the wind is cross-on, so it’s messy. The wave energy is moderate at 583. By Wednesday afternoon it cleans up with cross-off wind, dropping to 6ft and getting a score of 2 out of 10, but it’s still just okay. Thursday the 27th offers a glassy start, with 6ft from the SW, but the period drops to 7 seconds and the energy is weak at 344 – pretty ordinary.

Now, here’s the one true standout, the one to mark on your calendar: Friday the 28th of August. Maenporth wakes up. That morning we’ve got 8ft of WSW groundswell with a 10-second period, and the wind is glassy – dead calm, light air. That’s a dream combo. The combined wave energy is a hefty 1538, meaning there’s serious power in the water. Conditions are forecast to be “very good,” and I’m buzzing for that session. Now, 8ft is expert territory, not for beginners, and with that period it’s got proper punch, so it’s for the experienced crew only. The direction is WSW, a bit off the optimum SSE for this sheltered spot, but when it’s glassy with that much push, you don’t complain. Crowds can show up here, so get in early.

After that, it falls off fast. Saturday the 29th has offshore wind but zero swell – a total blank. Sunday the 30th offers a return to 7ft from the WSW, but it’s a short 7-second period and the energy is only 374, with cloudy skies and mediocre conditions. Not worth the hype. The following Monday the 31st and Tuesday the 1st of September drop back to small, weak swell (1ft to 2ft) with strong winds – not surfable.

So, bottom line: Friday the 28th morning is your pick. That glassy, 8ft swell is the only real standout in a long, flat stretch. Otherwise, it’s a lot of waiting around.

- Rusty

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