Penhale Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer. Honestly, I’m scratching my head a bit here. Over the whole 16-day stretch, there’s nothing that’s really firing. The only spot with any recommendations at all is Penhale, and even then it’s a pretty quiet affair right through to the end of August.

The water is sitting at 66°F with a warm anomaly of 4°F, so it’s notably warmer than what we’d normally expect this time of year, which is a nice touch for a session.

For the first recommendation, we’re looking at Wednesday morning, 12 August. It’s a clean, clear morning with a light cross-off breeze from the ESE at 12 mph. Swell is a modest 3 ft from the west, period around 10 seconds, and the combined energy is weak at 125. The waves are clean but pretty ordinary – surfable if you’re desperate for a paddle, but nothing to write home about. The afternoon is similar, with a gentle cross-off breeze and 3 ft swell, but still very ordinary.

Thursday morning, 13 August, sees a slight bump to 4 ft swell from the west, period 11 seconds, and combined energy up to 269 (moderate). But the wind is a cross-shore from the NNW at 9 mph, and there’s some cross-chop, so it’s a bit lumpy. The afternoon is a cross-on breeze, 4 ft, and not great.

Things get worse from Friday 14 August onwards. The wind swings onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell stays small, mostly under 3 ft, with short periods (5–9 seconds) and weak energy. The combined energy drops to as low as 18 on Monday 17 August. There’s no standout day, no proper groundswell, and the wind is never truly offshore for Penhale.

We do see a bit of a pulse on Tuesday 18 August with a 5 ft swell from the west, but it’s an onshore mess with a fresh breeze at 22 mph. That’s more kite-surfing territory than paddle surfing. Then on Thursday 27 August, the combined energy hits 380 (moderate) with a 4 ft swell from the WNW and a period of 6 seconds, but again, onshore wind and rain showers ruin it.

So the honest truth? There’s no standout here. The best you’ll get is a few clean windows early on, but the surf is small and weak. The rest of the period is a write-off. If you’re keen, Wednesday morning 12 August or Thursday morning 20 August (with a light cross-off and 3 ft) are your best bets, but keep expectations low. For an area that can be fairly consistent, it’s a lean spell.

Rusty

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