Maenporth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, Rusty here. Look, I’ve got to be straight with you – the next 16 days at Maenporth are a real struggle. There’s no surf on offer at all until the morning of Sunday, 3rd August, and even then, it’s pretty grim. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with nothing but flat, clean conditions and poor surf. The forecast just keeps saying “poor surf conditions” right through. It’s one of those stretches where you’re better off checking the forecasts again in a few days.

The first decent-looking bump we get is on the morning of Sunday, 3rd August. The wind is glassy out of the SSW, which is a major positive – it’ll be clean as a whistle. The swell is small, about 3 ft from the WSW, with a short period of 8 seconds and a combined energy of 101 (moderate). It’s a weak little pulse, but for a beginner-friendly spot like Maenporth, it’s a start. The water temperature is 66°F, which is a whopping 4°F warmer than usual for this time of year – that’s much warmer than normal, so you won’t need a thick wetsuit.

Through the week, the swell stays small and messy. Monday 4th August sees a slight increase, with a 4 ft, WSW swell (7-second period) on the Tuesday morning, but the wind is a cross-shore 16 mph from the SSW, making it lumpy and choppy. Not great. By Wednesday 5th August, we get a bit more size – 6 ft from the WSW (7-second period) with a combined energy of 350 (moderate) – but the wind is a fresh 19 mph from the W, cross-offshore. It’s clean, but the short period and wind make it a bit of a mess. That’s too big for beginners and not really firing for anyone else.

The standout, if you can call it that, is the morning of Monday 12th August. We’ve got a 3 ft, WSW swell with a 10-second period (a decent groundswell) and a combined energy of 207 (moderate). The wind is glassy out of the SE – that’s a major positive for clean, smooth waves. The direction matches the optimum swell direction for Maenporth (SSE), so it’s working with the break. Still, the swell is small, and the crowds are listed as “often” at this sheltered spot, so you’ll have company. The period is long enough (10 seconds) to give the waves some shape, but at a beach-and-reef setup like this, it’ll be fine.

There’s a gap from the 13th onward with even smaller, weaker swells and poor conditions. The 16th of August is a write-off with light rain and a cross-onshore wind. Honestly, if you’re desperate for a paddle, the 12th morning is your best bet, but don’t expect magic. The setup’s more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing most days, with the wind and short-period chop.

Rusty.

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