Perran Sands Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s break down the next couple of weeks at Perran Sands.

Honestly, I’ve got to be straight with you – the outlook is a tough one. The first week and a half is looking pretty grim. We’re talking about day after day of small, weak, choppy surf with poor conditions. The only real highlight is a brief window of clean conditions on Sunday the 19th, with a light offshore breeze from the southeast at 16 mph, but the swell is tiny, barely 3 ft, and straight from the north with a short period. It’s not going to offer much more than a dribble. The water temperature is sitting at 64°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t be freezing.

After that, we’re in a real dry spell. From the 20th right through until the 26th, we see almost nothing but small, onshore wind slop. The swell heights are under 3 ft, periods are short, and the wind is constantly cross-on, making it messy and choppy. There are a few days with a longer period groundswell from the WNW, but the size is so small (0.7 ft to 1 ft) that it’s just a tease. It’s a real flat spell.

Then, things start to change. On Monday the 27th, we see a pulse of energy arrive. The swell jumps to 5 ft from the west, with a period of 7 seconds, and the combined energy hits 239 (moderate). The wind is onshore from the WNW, so it’s not clean, but at least there’s something to look at. That swell sticks around through Tuesday the 28th, with the energy climbing to 335 (moderate), and the swell a touch smaller at 5 ft. The wind is still cross-on from the NNW, so it’s lumpy.

The real standout, and the only time I’d get excited, is around Wednesday the 29th through Friday the 31st. We’ve got a solid run of west-northwest swell. The size is consistently in the 5 ft to 8 ft range, and the combined energy really gets pumping, hitting 671 (strong) on Friday the 31st. The catch is the wind. It’s cross-on from the west for most of it, which will keep the surface bumpy. The period is short, around 7-8 seconds, so it’s a windswell, not a clean groundswell. For a beginner, any day over 5 ft is going to be a handful, and by Friday the 31st, it’s pushing 8 ft, which is expert territory. This spot is a fairly consistent reef break, so it won’t be a total washout, but with the wind direction, it’s going to be a battle.

The second week, from the 1st of August onward, the swell starts to fade a bit, but the energy is still moderate to strong. The wind stays cross-on or cross-shore, keeping it messy. It’s not a classic run of surf, more of a grind.

To be honest, with the persistent cross-on wind and building swell, this setup looks more interesting for a kite session than a clean paddle. The best bet is to keep an eye on the 29th to the 31st, but don’t expect perfection. The water is a touch warmer than average, but that’s small comfort when the wind is on it.

Rusty.

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