Poldhu Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s take a good, hard look at what’s coming up for Poldhu Cove over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a grim picture from the start, and it takes a long while before anything remotely rideable shows up.

We’re looking at a long, dry spell to kick things off. From now, Saturday the 11th of July, right through to the end of the weekend on Sunday the 19th, there’s simply nothing worth paddling out for. The swell is tiny, mostly between 0.7 ft and 3 ft, and what little energy there is gets torn apart by strong east-northeast winds. The combined energy is pathetic, barely scratching 100 (98 being the highest in that first week), so don’t even bother.

The water temperature at Poldhu Cove is sitting at a balmy 65 °F, which is a whopping 4 °F warmer than normal for this time of year – a real treat if you’re just floating around, but that’s all you’ll be doing.

We finally get a pulse of swell around Tuesday the 21st of July. A southwest swell pushes in at 4 ft on Tuesday morning, but it’s accompanied by a fresh 35 km/h onshore wind. That combo looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing, to be honest. The afternoon sees it jump to 5 ft, but the wind is still a messy cross-onshore, with combined energy climbing to a moderate 236.

Things actually get a bit more substantial as that week goes on. Wednesday the 22nd sees consistent 6 ft swell from the west, but it’s still cross-onshore. By Thursday the 23rd, we get the biggest push of the whole outlook: a 6 ft west-northwest swell with solid energy (923 in the afternoon). The problem? It’s still cross-onshore and choppy. For a spot like Poldhu Cove, which is fairly exposed to the southwest, this west-northwest angle isn’t ideal. The waves will be there, but it’s going to be a messy, blown-out affair.

Friday the 24th of July is where we see the only real standout, and it’s a conditional one. The morning is still messy, but the afternoon clears up. We get a 7 ft swell from the west-southwest with crisp, clean conditions thanks to a strong cross-offshore wind from the north-northwest at 35 km/h. The combined energy is a solid 290. This is big surf – over 7 ft – so it’s for experienced surfers only. But if you’ve got the skills, this is the window to be looking at. The swell direction matches the optimum (SW), and the wind will groom it nicely.

After that, Saturday the 25th throws some huge, messy 10 ft swell at us, but it’s cross-onshore again with a combined energy over 1400 – massive power, but terrible conditions. Sunday the 26th sees the swell dropping back to 5 ft, but it’s back on onshore winds.

So, the long and short of it: a nearly two-week wait for anything decent. The best on offer is Friday afternoon, July 24th at Poldhu Cove. That 7 ft west-southwest swell with clean, cross-offshore wind is the only time the stars align. It’s a late call, so keep an eye on it, but that’s your one shot.

Rusty.

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