Poldhu Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cookin’ for Poldhu Cove over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you: the next week and a half is a tough slog. There’s really nothing worth paddling out for until we get into early August. The first couple of days are a write-off – Sunday the 26th and Monday the 27th have a messy cross-shore and cross-onshore breeze with lumpy, choppy conditions. The swell is there, about 8ft to 4ft, but it’s all short-period windswell and the wind just ruins it. The combined swell energy is moderate (607 down to 280), but it’s just not surfable.

We slide through a few days of tiny, weak swell from the 28th to the 31st of July – nothing over 4ft, with periods around 8 seconds, and the wind is still cross or cross-on. It’s just small, chopped-out junk. Combined energy drops right off into the double digits (72-232), which tells you how weak it is. Honestly, this stretch is a total dud.

Then we hit a little bit of a lull. The 1st of August finally gives us a clean morning with light cross-offshore wind, but the swell is only 3ft with a short 6-second period. Combined energy is a measly 90. It’s surfable, but it’s very ordinary. The 2nd of August is glassy in the morning, but the swell is only 1ft – you’d be better off on a longboard or just enjoying the view.

There’s a gap of a few days with no real recommendation until we get to the 6th of August. That Thursday morning, the swell jumps to 10ft from the W with a 9-second period, and we get a clean, cross-offshore wind from the N. The combined energy is a strong 2499. This is a big, powerful groundswell. But here’s the thing – Poldhu Cove is a beach break, and 10ft is well over the 8ft mark, so this is expert territory only. It’s gonna be heavy, and the long period (9 seconds) isn’t super long, but it’s still got plenty of punch. The wind is clean, but this is a big boy’s wave.

Now, the real standout – and I mean, the standout of the whole 16-day window – is Saturday the 8th of August. We’ve got a massive 13ft swell from the WSW, with a 10-second period. The combined energy is a whopping 3460, which is very strong. The wind is a clean cross-offshore from the NNW. This is a proper groundswell, and the conditions are set up for it. However, the same caveat applies: 13ft is too big for this break. The data itself says it’s predicted to be too big for this break. This is a serious, serious swell, and only the most experienced, well-equipped locals should even consider it. The wave quality could be epic if you can handle the size, but it’s not for the faint of heart. After that, the 9th and 10th of August drop back into onshore wind and small, chopped-up surf.

So, to wrap it up: the early part of the period is a total loss. The first real chance for a surf is the morning of the 1st of August, but it’s tiny. The 6th of August has a big, clean swell but it’s for experts only. The absolute best on offer, in terms of pure swell size and clean conditions, is the 8th of August, but it’s dangerously big. If you’re a beginner, stay home. If you’re an expert, mark that Saturday the 8th in your calendar – but be smart about it.

The water temp is sitting at 68°F, which is a whopping 6° warmer than normal for this time of year. That’s very unusual, so you can leave the thick wetsuit at home.

Rusty.

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