Mawgan Porth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Hey, grab a coffee and sit down with me, Rusty. I’ve been staring at the charts for Mawgan Porth and I have to be straight with you—it’s a rough outlook for the next couple of weeks. The ocean is not cooperating.

Right now, into the start of August, the water is sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but that’s about the only nice thing I can say. We’ve got a small, weak, short-period swell from the SW on Tuesday the 4th, but it’s only 4ft and the wind is slamming cross-on at 19 mph. The combined energy is weak, 123, and it’s just a mess. That pattern sticks around for days. Wednesday the 5th sees a bit more size—up to 6ft from the W—but the wind is on it or cross-on, and the period is a pathetic 7 seconds. The whole setup is lumpy and choppy. Thursday the 6th is smaller, still cross-on. Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th, the swell drops to practically nothing, 1ft, and even though we get glassy conditions on Friday morning, there’s no wave energy to surf. The 9th and 10th are tiny, choppy, and cross-shore. It’s a dead zone.

We get a bit of a break from the wind on the 11th and 12th—clean conditions with cross-offshore breezes—but the swell is still tiny, only 1ft to 3ft. The energy is still low, 96 (113 on the 12th afternoon), but the period improves to 10 seconds on the 12th morning. It’s surfable for a longboard if you’re desperate, but it’s not good.

The first real glimmer comes on Thursday morning, 13th August. The wind goes offshore, light, from the ENE at 6 mph. The swell is 3ft from the WSW, period 8 seconds, and the combined energy hits 118. The conditions are clean. I’d call it “surfable but very ordinary.” It’s a beginner-friendly wave, but don’t expect a barrel.

Then we get a standout window. Friday morning, 14th August. The wind drops to glassy—dead calm, 3 mph from the NNW. The swell is 4ft from the W, period 9 seconds, and the energy jumps to 215. That’s moderate energy. The water is still clean. This is the best morning of the first two weeks. It’s not huge, but it’s clean, and the wave shape will be okay for a beach break. The crowds here are *sometimes* an issue, so you might have some company, but it’s worth the paddle.

After that, it gets messy again. Saturday the 15th sees a jump in size—6ft from the WNW, period 9 seconds, energy 567—but it’s cross-on and lumpy. That’s a lot of water moving around with poor wind. By Tuesday morning, 18th August, we get a proper pulse: 7ft from the WNW, period 10 seconds, and the energy is a very strong 976. But the wind is howling onshore at 25 mph. That’s not surfable for a paddle board; it’s a kite surfer’s dream, maybe, but for us, it’s a washing machine. The afternoon is just as windy, cross-on, and messy.

The long-range looks like more of the same: onshore winds and lumpy conditions. The 19th is small and onshore. There’s no real standout in the second week.

So, to be honest, the best surf on offer is Friday morning, 14th August at Mawgan Porth. It’s only 4ft, but it’s glassy, clean, and the energy is solid. If you’re a beginner, that’s your window. If you’re an expert, you’ll be waiting for a better swell direction and less wind. For now, the river mouth might offer a bit of shelter, but it’s a tough stretch.

Rusty.

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