Poldhu Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Poldhu Cove. I’ll be straight with you, mate—this is a rough stretch. The forecast is a long, bleak run of poor surf conditions, and for the first week and a half, there’s barely a wave worth paddling for. The first real chance of anything doesn’t show up until Tuesday morning, 28th July, and even then, it’s barely a whisper.

The Overall Pattern
We’re looking at a proper flat spell to start. From Saturday 25th July right through to Monday 27th July, the swell is either tiny, onshore-churned, or both. The wind is mostly cross or cross-on, and the wave comment is “poor surf conditions” across the board. The combined swell energy is weak, with values like 30 to 65 in the first couple of days, so there’s just no grunt in the water. The water temperature is sitting at 68°F, which is a massive 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year—that’s a real anomaly, very unusual for July.

The First Real Window (28th July – Tuesday)
The first glimmer shows up on Tuesday morning, 28th July. The swell drops to 3 ft from the WNW, with a period of 9 seconds. The wind flips to a light ESE breeze, which is cross-offshore, and the conditions are described as “clean.” That’s the best we get in this whole outlook. The combined energy is only 116 (weak), so it’s not a powerful wave, but for a complete beginner, this could be a fun little knee-to-waist-high session. After that, it goes back to junk.

The Mid-Week Lull
Tuesday afternoon through Thursday, 30th July, it’s back to small, chopped-up surf. The wind swings cross and cross-on, and the wave heights hover around 2 ft to 3 ft. The energy is consistently low, in the 50s and 100s. Nothing to write home about.

A Brief Nod on Friday 31st July
Friday morning, 31st July, offers a tiny window of clean-ish surf. The swell is 3 ft from the WNW, but the period is a short 7 seconds. The wind is a light offshore from the ENE, and the water is clean. The energy is weak (75). It’s surfable, but you’d be working hard for small, crumbly lines.

The Big Swell, But It’s a Mess
Then we get to Sunday 2nd August. The swell jumps to a massive 12 ft from the WSW, with a 10-second period. The combined energy rockets to 2273 (strong). But here’s the kicker—the wind is howling onshore from the SW at 25 mph. The wave comment is “poor surf conditions.” This is a classic case of a big swell ruined by wind. For a beach-and-reef setup like Poldhu Cove, this looks more interesting for the kite surfers than paddle surfers. It’s too big and blown out for anyone but the most experienced, and even then, it’s likely a washing machine.

The Second Week (August 3rd to 9th)
The rest of the week is a mixed bag of small to moderate swells, but the wind never plays ball. The morning of Saturday 8th August shows a 7 ft swell from the WSW with a 10-second period, and the wind is a light cross-offshore from the N. The combined energy is 852 (moderate), and the conditions are “clean.” This is the standout of the second week. It’s a solid size, but at 7 ft, it’s getting into expert territory. The short period (10 seconds) means it’ll be a bit walled up, but it’s the best on offer for the whole 16 days. Sunday 9th August also has a 7 ft swell from the W with a clean cross-off wind, but the energy is high (862) and the period is short (8 seconds), so it’s a bit dumpy.

The Verdict
There’s no true standout that makes you want to drop everything. The best bet is the morning of Tuesday 28th July for a tiny, clean beginner wave, or the morning of Saturday 8th August for a bigger, more powerful wave for experienced surfers. The crowds at Poldhu Cove are “sometimes” present, so you might have some company, but it won’t be a circus. Overall, it’s a pretty grim outlook for the next two weeks.

– Rusty

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