Maenporth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Gotta be honest, the next couple of weeks are looking pretty bleak for any decent waves. We’ve got a long stretch of tiny, weak surf, and then a few days where it gets bigger but the wind ruins it. Gonna be a real test of patience.

We’re starting on Monday, August 17th, and for the first week, it’s all flat, gutless dribble. Through to the morning of Saturday the 22nd, we’re stuck with swell heights of just 0.3 ft to 0.7 ft. The combined energy is barely a whisper, between 6 and 27 (weak energy). The water temp is 66°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least it’s nice for a swim. The only spot to look at is Maenporth, but it’s a sheltered, inconsistent break even on a good day, and on days like this, it’s just a paddling pool.

Now, Saturday the 22nd brings a little pulse – a 4 ft bump from the east in the morning. But the wind is cross-onshore and the period is a shocking 5 seconds, so it’s just a short, choppy mess. The energy gets to 93, but it’s still poor. Then it’s back to a few more days of tiny 0.7 ft stuff.

The real interest – and I say that carefully – comes on Wednesday, August 26th. The morning shows a 4 ft west-southwest swell with a moderate offshore wind from the WNW. The energy jumps to 261 (moderate). The period is a short 8 seconds, so it’ll be a bit fat and weak, but it’s the first clean surf we’ve seen. By the afternoon the wind becomes a strong offshore breeze at 25 mph, which will clean the surface right up, but with a 5 ft swell and that much wind, it’ll be a fight to get out and stay in the wave. Not for the beginners.

The standout, if you can call it that, is Saturday, August 29th. The morning brings a 8 ft west-southwest swell with a solid, fresh offshore wind from the northwest. The energy is strong at 844. That’s a proper groundswell. The problem? The period is only 9 seconds, so it won’t have the long, lined-up power you’d hope for. The wind will be clean, but at 8 ft, this is in the expert bracket. The crowd factor at Maenporth can be an issue, and with the only decent day in a long stretch, it’s gonna be packed. The swell direction from the WSW is offshore for Maenporth, which is a good thing. It’s a point-and-sheltered setup, so a long-period swell might actually break too straight, but the short period here should keep it more manageable.

Friday the 28th is a total write-off with 8 ft swell and a strong, lumpy cross-shore wind. The energy is a massive 839, but it’s just a washing machine. Would be a better day for a kite than a paddle.

After that, from the 30th of August onward, it drops back to flat or tiny, with strong winds and no swell to speak of. A huge gap of nothing.

So, there you have it. One day on the 26th for a bit of a grovel and a clean-up, and one standout day on the 29th for the experts who don’t mind the crowds. It’s not much, but it’s all we’ve got.

Rusty.

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