Port Isaac Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what the next couple of weeks are serving up for us down at Port Isaac.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a rough start. We’re looking at a proper flat spell through the end of August. From Tuesday the 25th right through to Thursday the 27th, you’re staring at tiny, weak dribble. Swell is barely cracking 1 ft to 2 ft with periods under 10 seconds, and the energy is pathetically low (30 to 55). It’s just not worth getting the wetsuit wet for. That water temp is sitting at 66°, which is a touch warmer than we’d normally expect for the time of year, so a little bonus there but nothing to ride.

We finally see a glimmer of hope on Friday morning the 28th. It’s still small, 2 ft from the WSW at 8 seconds, and the energy is weak (71), but we’ve got a moderate offshore breeze from the S keeping things clean. It’s surfable, but barely. Certainly nothing to get excited about.

Saturday the 29th sees a jump in size, but it’s messy. Swell pushes to 6 ft from the W, but it’s short-period windswell with a lumpy cross-shore wind at 19 mph. The wave energy gets moderate (295-348), but the quality is just poor. Sunday the 30th is a bit cleaner with a S/SW offshore wind and 5 ft swell (367 energy), but it’s still only rated as marginal. The wind then gets nasty on Monday the 31st, with a fresh onshore breeze ruining a 7 ft WNW swell (629 energy). That size is getting into expert-only territory, especially with the chop.

Now, the standout window opens on Tuesday the 1st of September. The morning delivers a solid 7 ft W swell with a 9-second period and a clean offshore wind from the WSW. The energy is strong (759). That’s the best looking session so far, but it’s still only marginal for quality. By the afternoon, the swell pumps up to 8 ft (1331 energy), but the wind cranks up to 22 mph, making it a rough one for anyone but the most experienced locals.

Wednesday the 2nd is another decent morning call. We’ve got 5 ft of W swell at 10 seconds, with clean offshore winds (499 energy). That’s a much nicer all-rounder size for the average surfer, and the longer period will give those waves a bit of push. The water is still that touch warmer than normal. After that, it’s a slow decline into the second week. Thursday the 3rd and Friday the 4th drop back down to 4 ft and then 2 ft, with winds turning cross-shore and onshore – not great.

Looking further out, Saturday the 5th of September brings a big, punchy 8 ft W swell (over 1000 energy), but it’s accompanied by strong 19 mph winds and a lumpy cross-chop. That’s more of a windsurfing or kite-surfing kind of day than a clean surfing one. Sunday the 6th cleans up slightly in the afternoon with a cross-offshore breeze from the SSW on that 6 ft swell, but Monday the 7th is a write-off with onshore winds and lumpy conditions on a 7 ft swell.

The real gem in the second week? It’s Tuesday the 8th of September. We’ve got a light offshore breeze from the S, 4 ft to 5 ft of WSW groundswell at 9 seconds, and the energy is moderate (281-354). The forecast actually says “expect good surf conditions.” That’s the pick of the entire outlook – clean lines, manageable size, and the offshore flow. If you can hold out until then, that’s your day.

The very end of the run on Wednesday the 9th shows a pulse of long-period W swell at 7 ft and 11 seconds, but the wind is cross-shore, putting a chop on it. It’ll have plenty of power (over 1000 energy), but it won’t be the clean session we saw on the 8th.

So, here’s the takeaway: the first week is a total grind. The best bet by a long shot is Tuesday the 8th of September. Set your alarm and don’t sleep in.

Rusty.

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