Mawgan Porth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks. I’ve been staring at the charts for Mawgan Porth, and to be brutally honest, it’s a tough one. We’re looking at a long stretch of mostly grovelly or blown-out conditions. The first real shot at anything decent doesn't land until late in the game.

The whole 16-day window is a bit of a grind. Waves show up, but the wind is almost always in the wrong place. For the first eight days, from Wednesday the 19th of August right through to the end of that week, it’s a write-off. Onshore winds are tearing up the lineup, making it choppy and messy. Even when the swell bumps up to a couple of yards, the wind just ruins it. There’s a brief tease on Friday the 21st with a cleaner look in the morning, but the swell is tiny and weak (combined energy of only 191). Then we get a solid lull, with barely a ripple from Sunday the 23rd through Tuesday the 25th.

The second week opens up with a bit more promise, though it’s still a mixed bag. On Thursday the 27th of August morning, we start to see a real pulse of new swell, hitting 7ft from the WNW with an 11-second period. It’s a groundswell, which means better shape and more push, but the wind is a light cross-onshore. The combined energy jumps up to 954, showing some real grunt. The surf report is calling it ‘marginal’ but that’s the best we’ve seen in a week. That’s probably the morning to have a paddle if you’re desperate, but you’ll be fighting a bit of chop.

The real standout—and I mean the *only* standout in this entire outlook—actually comes on Saturday the 29th of August morning. The wind finally plays ball. It’s a clean, glassy morning with a light easterly offshore breeze and a modest 4ft swell from the WSW at 8 seconds. The combined energy is 226, so it’s not a beast, but the conditions will be perfect. For a river break like Mawgan Porth, that clean, glassy surface is absolute gold, making for some fun, peelable walls. This is your best chance by a mile, but don't expect big waves. Just clean ones.

After that, the wheels come off again. Sunday the 30th through to Tuesday the 1st of September sees a massive jump in swell, with waves hitting 13ft and combined energy surging past 3500. That’s serious power. However, it’s accompanied by brutal onshore winds. For the average punter, this will be a washing machine; it’s strictly for the experienced crew in the heavy stuff. The setup at the beach will be more interesting for the kite surfers than us with paddles. The final days of the forecast show more of the same poor, windy conditions.

So, my verdict: Don’t hold your breath. If you absolutely have to get wet, mark Saturday the 29th of August in your calendar for a clean but small session. Everything else is either flat or blown to bits.

Rusty.

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