Perranporth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright mates, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for the North Cornwall coast. Perranporth is the only spot in the cards, and it’s a rough 16 days ahead, so temper your expectations.

We start with a bit of a stinker. Monday afternoon, 31st of August, has a 2.3m W swell at 10 seconds, but it’s being hammered by a 25 km/h onshore WNW wind. The water’s a touch warmer than usual at 18°, but that doesn’t help when the surf is a mess. The combined energy is moderate at 1029, but it’s all for nothin’.

The next few days are a write-off. Tuesday, 1st September, through Friday, 4th September, it’s cross-onshore and onshore winds all the way, with swell sizes from 0.9m to 2.0m out of the W and WSW. The period is short, 6 to 9 seconds, and the wind is always on it. Thursday morning, 3rd September, has 1.6m of W swell at 8 seconds, but that 20 km/h WSW cross-onshore ruins it. The energy is moderate at 308, but it’s lumpy and choppy.

Friday, 4th September, is a tease. Morning sees 2.0m of W swell at 9 seconds with a 20 km/h onshore WNW wind. The energy hits 606, which is moderate, but the wind is all wrong. No dice.

Then, finally, a bit of hope. Saturday, 5th September, is your best day in this whole outlook. The morning brings 1.1m of W swell at 9 seconds, with a light 10 km/h offshore SE wind. The afternoon is even better: 1.0m of W swell at 9 seconds, a 5 km/h offshore ESE breeze, and it’s clean as a whistle. The combined energy is 201 in the morning and 177 in the afternoon – weak to moderate, but the conditions are surfable. The water temp anomaly isn’t given, but it’s likely average for the time of year. This is a classic, small, clean Perranporth session. The swell direction from the W is perfect for this break, and with offshore winds, it’ll be glassy. The crowds can be a thing, as it’s ‘sometimes’ busy, but on a Saturday with clean lines, it’ll be worth it. This is the one.

Sunday, 6th September, the swell drops off hard. 0.6m in the morning, 0.5m in the afternoon, with strong offshore winds from the SE. The energy is weak: 64 and 44. It’s clean, but tiny. Not worth the paddle.

From Monday, 7th September, all the way to the end on 15th September, it’s a desert. The swell is consistently below 1.0m, often dropping to 0.1m or 0.2m. The winds are a mix of cross-onshore, cross, and offshore, but the energy is negligible – single-digit or low two-digit numbers. There’s a brief spike on Wednesday, 9th September, with 2.0m to 2.1m of W swell at 10 seconds, but it’s got 35 km/h onshore and cross-onshore winds, making it a total blowout. The energy hits 730, but it’s cooked. By Tuesday, 15th September, we’ve got 0.2m of swell with a long period of 13 seconds, but a 35 km/h cross-onshore wind means it’s just lumpy and messy.

So, to cut it short: the only real window is Saturday, 5th September. Get out there morning or afternoon for clean, small waves. The rest of the 16 days is a long, frustrating gap of poor surf. It’s just one of those stretches for Perranporth. Keep an eye on the charts, but for now, that Saturday is your moment.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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