Surf Forecasts:
Perranporth surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 22 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 7ft (2.1m), 9s period, W swell with 694 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 22 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 9s period with W swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Perranporth this week:
The surf forecast for Perranporth over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Saturday (Aug 22) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 9s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 4s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Perranporth in the next 16 days are 2.1m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 2s period and expected on Tuesday (Aug 25) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sat 22nd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 7ft (2.1m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Perranporth over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, folks, Rusty here. Let’s be honest, looking at this run for Perranporth has me a bit torn. There’s some serious energy in the water at times, but the wind gods seem to have it in for us for most of the next couple of weeks. It’s not a total write-off, but you’re going to have to be patient and pick your moments.
The overall picture is a lot of wind-affected, messy surf. We’ve got a stretch from now until the end of the month where the conditions just aren’t playing ball. There are a few windows where it cleans up, but the swell is tiny. Then, as we get into the first days of September, a big pulse of energy shows up, but the wind is mostly cross-onshore, making it a bit of a battle. It’s a real test of patience.
So, for the next few days, it's all about the onshore wind. Tuesday and Wednesday are blown out with moderate to fresh breezes and poor surf. We do see a bump in size on Thursday the 20th, with swell hitting 7ft, but the wind is howling onshore, so it's just a messy, powerful closeout. Not worth the paddle.
Friday the 21st, the wind goes cross-shore, but the swell drops right out. We're left with small, weak waves in the 2ft to 3ft range. It's not great, but if you're desperate for a splash, there’s a tiny window Saturday morning the 22nd. The wind goes light offshore and it’s glassy, but there’s only 2ft of swell. It's ankle-biters and a lot of work for not much return.
Then we hit a real dry spell. From the 23rd through the 24th, there is almost nothing. The swell bottoms out to less than a foot, and the wind is all over the place, including a glassy period on Monday morning, but with no waves to ride. This flat spell stretches for a couple of days, and by the 25th, there’s some size coming back (4ft to 5ft) but it’s cross-offshore and clean. That might be our best bet in this first week. It’s not huge or perfect, but it’s ridable and clean.
The rest of that week is more of the same – wind and chop messing up the potential. The 29th and 31st of August see the swell pushing up again, reaching a solid 8ft on the 31st, but the cross-off winds just aren’t ideal. Still, I’d be looking at the morning of Sunday the 30th as a decent call. Light offshore wind, and 5ft of clean swell. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best the end of the month has to offer.
Now, as we turn the corner into September, the ocean finally wakes up. The 1st of September brings a proper swell, with strong energy. The wave height hits 8ft, but there's a moderate cross-onshore wind, which will make it lumpy. The morning looks pretty rough, but Tuesday afternoon on the 1st might be the standout of the whole period. The wind cleans up to a cross-off, the swell holds at 8ft, and the energy is strong. It’s going to be big and powerful, so this is for experienced surfers only. This is the one I’d circle on the calendar.
There’s another pulse on Wednesday the 2nd, but the cross-onshore is back, which is a shame. That Tuesday afternoon is your window if you’ve got the skills for it.
So, to sum it up: the next week or so is mostly a bust. There are a few clean but tiny moments, and a couple of bumpy, onshore days with size. But the real standout is Tuesday the 1st of September. That’s a long-range call, so it’s promising but not set in stone. Keep your fingers crossed.
Wind and swell directions look fine for the breaks around here, but the energy is all over the place. The water temp is running about average for this time of year. There are plenty of other spots with more consistent conditions, but for Perranporth, that’s the story.
Rusty, out.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Very mild (max 19°C on Mon night, min 16°C on Tue night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Fri night. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat morning, min 14°C on Thu night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | W 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 7 | W 8 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | N 5 | N 5 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 12 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
165 | 135 | 180 | 276 | 186 | 475 | 694 | 540 | 230 | 109 | 46 | 35 | 41 | 39 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 20 | 12 | 12 | 14 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | on | cross-on | cross | cross | cross | off | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | glassy | cross-on | cross-off |
High Tide | 9:28AM5.72m | 9:48PM5.59m | 10:08AM5.28m | 10:29PM5.07m | 10:52AM4.83m | 11:20PM4.59m | 11:51AM4.44m | 00:32AM4.24m | 1:16PM4.23m | 2:06AM4.17m | 2:47PM4.35m | 3:25AM4.40m | 3:52PM4.70m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 3:44PM0.99m | 4:05AM1.23m | 4:23PM1.44m | 4:45AM1.69m | 5:10PM1.88m | 5:37AM2.10m | 6:16PM2.23m | 6:55AM2.37m | 7:50PM2.36m | 8:32AM2.35m | 9:20PM2.18m | 9:47AM2.05m | 10:19PM1.81m | ||||||||
6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:20 | — | — | |
— | 8:35 | — | — | 8:32 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:29 | — | — | 8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | |
mm | — | — | 2 | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 16 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 17 | SW 16 | W 9 | WSW 15 | SW 14 | WNW 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | WSW 4 |
11 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 61 | 23 | 8 | 540 | 230 | 109 | 46 | 35 | 41 | 39 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 2 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | SW 16 | — | — | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | N 5 | W 9 | SW 16 | N 4 | WSW 15 | WSW 15 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | WSW 14 | N 5 | SW 13 | W 8 |
— | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | 20 | 19 | 24 | 25 | 10 | 6 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 2 | 7 | 12 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 12 | — | — | — | N 5 | SW 14 | — | WNW 12 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | — | 14 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | W 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 9 | WNW 7 | W 8 | W 9 | — | N 6 | — | N 5 | N 4 | — | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 4 | N 4 | — | — | — |
165 | 135 | 180 | 276 | 186 | 475 | 694 | — | 50 | — | 15 | 20 | — | 20 | 21 | 20 | 8 | 4 | — | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 279 | 213 | 154 | 224 | 213 | 279 | 141 | 210 | 33 | 32 | 35 | 70 | 0 | 32 | 282 | 282 | 50 | 242 | 403 | 499 | 196 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Perranporth Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Perranporth provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Perranporth can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Perranporth surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Perranporth) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Perranporth may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Perranporth is 9 km (6 miles) from Newquay. If you plan a holiday in North Cornwall, look for hotels and other accommodation in Newquay. Newquay has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











