Perranporth Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what’s on the table for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, it’s a tough stretch ahead for Perranporth. The whole 16-day window is a bit of a write-off for decent surf. The first real chance of anything rideable isn’t until the afternoon of the 17th, and even then, it's nothing to write home about. We’re looking at a lot of onshore and cross-onshore wind, lumpy, choppy conditions, and generally poor quality surf. The water temp is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, sitting at 66°, which is a couple of degrees above average, so at least you won't need the thickest wetsuit if you’re desperate for a paddle.

From Sunday the 16th right through to the end of the month, every single entry is marked as poor surf conditions. There is a gap of a few days with nothing recommended at all. The swell does build through the middle of next week, with combined energy hitting moderate values – like 303 (moderate) on the morning of the 19th, and then into strong territory with 594 (strong) on the morning of the 20th. But the wind is all wrong. It’s onshore or cross-onshore from the west and northwest, just destroying any chance of a clean wave. Swell heights get up to 7 ft on the 19th and 6 ft on the 20th, but it’s lumpy and messy. That’s not surfable, that’s just a washing machine.

By the time we get to the 22nd and 23rd, the wind finally swings around to a light offshore from the northeast, and the ocean cleans up nicely. But the swell drops right out. We’re looking at tiny 1 ft to 2 ft waves with weak energy. On the 22nd morning, combined energy is only 58 (weak), and it stays weak through the weekend. There’s just not enough push to get a decent ride.

Into the last week of August, there’s a little pulse of energy on the 26th afternoon with combined swell energy of 155 (moderate) and 4 ft swell, but again, it’s onshore and choppy. The 29th has the biggest swell of the period – 10 ft on the afternoon, with combined energy hitting 1366 (very strong). But that’s with fresh cross-onshore winds, and it’s going to be a lumpy, blown-out mess. That kind of size with that wind is really only going to appeal to the kite crowd.

Honestly, there are no standouts in this outlook. Nothing worth getting excited about. The whole run is a blank for quality surf. If you’re really jonesing, the cleanest conditions will be on the 22nd and 23rd with the offshore winds, but you’ll be on tiny, weak waves. The bigger swells in the second week are all wind-affected. It’s one of those periods where you just have to wait for the next forecast change.

Rusty.

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