Poldhu Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what Poldhu Cove is offering over the next couple of weeks. It’s a fairly exposed spot that likes a good SW swell, but this forecast is a bit of a test of patience.

We start with a blank run, to be honest. For the first week, from Saturday August 15 right through to Wednesday August 19, the surf is small, messy, and onshore. The winds are cross to cross-on from the north and west, and the swell is tiny, coming in at under 3ft. The combined wave energy is weak, mostly sitting between 32-104 on the meter. It’s proper "poor surf conditions" all the way. The water temp is 67°, which is a notable 4° warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice little bonus if you do go for a paddle, but the waves just aren’t there.

Thursday August 20 sees a bit of a push, with swell height rising to 6ft from the west, but the energy ramps up to 575-613, which is moderate. The problem is the cross-onshore wind from the WNW at 19 mph. It’s lumpy and choppy. This is not a day for a longboard. Given the poor quality and the wind, this setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

Friday August 21 cleans up a little – cross-off winds from the NNW at 16-19 mph get the surface glassy, and the swell drops to 5ft from the west with a moderate energy reading of 462. It’s cleaner, but still not anything to write home about. The waves are there, but they aren't going to be anything special.

Then we hit a proper lull. From Saturday August 22 all the way through to the end of the month, the swell drops right off. For over a week, the swell height is mostly under 2ft, with energy readings well below 100 – often as low as 15-22. It’s looking flat. There is a brief moment on the afternoon of Saturday August 22 with glassy conditions and a tiny 2ft west swell, but it’s barely a ripple. Sunday August 23 sees a period jump to 11 seconds with a 1ft WSW groundswell, but it's still tiny, and the wind is a strong 25 mph from the east.

Even the last few days of the month, like Friday August 28 and Saturday August 29, see a tiny 2-2ft west swell with clean cross-off winds. The combined energy is still weak (30-69). It’s tiny, clean, and frustrating. Honestly, the best wave of the whole period might be that late Saturday afternoon on August 22 when it’s glassy, but there’s no real push.

So, to sum it up: don't get your hopes up. The first week is a write-off with onshore junk. There’s a brief, cleaner period on Friday August 21 with head-high-ish swell (5ft from the west) but it’s not good quality. After that, it’s a long, flat spell for more than a week. Hold tight, check back in a few days.

Rusty.

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