Perranporth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s shaping up for Perranporth over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a proper slow starter. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with hardly anything worth paddling out for, so don’t rush to wax up just yet.

The first week is pretty much a write-off, I’m sorry to say. From Friday the 7th right through to Tuesday the 12th, we’ve got nothing but tiny, weak waves. The swell is a measly 1ft to 2ft, with rubbish periods under 9 seconds, and the combined energy is barely a whisper (22 to 43). The water is sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than usual for this time of year, but that’s about the only highlight. The wind is a mixed bag – some clean offshore mornings, like Saturday the 8th and Tuesday the 11th, but with no swell to work with, it’s just a flat, clean ocean. Gutting.

We finally see a pulse of life on Wednesday the 12th morning. The swell bumps up to 3ft from the west, with a period of 10 seconds and moderate energy (125). The wind is a gentle offshore from the ESE, so it’s clean. The forecast says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions,” so it’s a small window for the patient loggers or longboarders, but don’t expect anything exciting. That clean window fades by the afternoon as the wind swings cross-on.

Thursday the 13th sees a slight increase in swell height to 4ft, with a longer 11-second period and energy jumping to 272, but the wind is onshore or cross-on from the NW, making it choppy and messy. Friday the 14th is similar, with 4ft of west swell but moderate cross-onshore winds spoiling the party. The weekend of the 15th and 16th drops back to tiny 2ft to 2ft waves with short periods – not worth talking about.

We get another small, clean moment on Tuesday the 18th. The swell is 2ft to 3ft from the west, with an 8-second period, and light offshore or cross-off winds from the ESE and south. The energy is still low (68 to 83), but the conditions are clean. Again, it’s for the small-wave crew only.

Now, here’s the real standout, and it’s a long way off. Mark your calendars for Friday the 21st of August. The morning session is looking like the best of the whole run. A solid 8ft swell from the WNW, with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is a massive 817 – that’s proper strong. The wind is a light cross-offshore from the SSE, and the forecast actually says “expect very good surf conditions.” This is the one. The water is still going to be a touch warmer than average. The catch is, with 8ft, this is expert territory – it’s going to be powerful and a bit of a handful for anyone not on their game. The afternoon drops off as the wind picks up and goes cross-shore, so get it while it’s clean in the morning.

Before that, on Thursday the 20th, we get a 5ft to 7ft pulse from the WNW, but with a strong 25 mph northerly wind making it a cross-onshore mess. The energy is moderate to strong (205 to 393), but the wind is just plain nasty. That setup would be more interesting for the kite surfers than us paddle folk.

So, to sum it up: the first twelve days are a slog with only a couple of very small, clean windows. The one true standout is the morning of Friday the 21st, with a big, powerful swell and clean conditions. It’s a long way off, so keep an eye on the forecasts, but that’s our best bet by a long shot.

Stay salty,
Rusty

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