Port Isaac Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming up for our little corner of the coast.

Right then, straight off the bat, I’ve got to be honest with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty grim for Port Isaac. We’ve got a real flat spell on our hands. The first week is basically a write-off, and the second week isn’t much better. It’s one of those stretches where you’re better off fixing the dings in the shed.

The heartbreaker is Monday the 7th of September. There’s a big pulse of west swell pushing in, with a solid long period of 13 seconds. We’re talking about 6ft of swell from the west, with a combined energy of 1237 (moderate wave energy). That’s got the right ingredients for a good wave, but the wind is a cross-onshore from the WNW at 12 mph, and the wave comment says “poor surf conditions.” The wind will just chop it up. It’s the biggest swell of the whole forecast, but the wind is cruel. That same west groundswell holds through Tuesday morning, still 6ft, but the wind is cross-onshore again, so it’s a no-go.

The real kicker is that Port Isaac is a fairly exposed spot, and it likes a WNW swell direction – which we get a sniff of on Wednesday the 9th, but that’s a short-period 5ft swell with a nasty cross-onshore wind. No good.

We don’t get a single “good” surf day in the whole 16-day window. The closest we get is Thursday the 10th, with a light cross-offshore wind from the SW, but the swell is a weak 3ft to 4ft. The wave comment says “surfable waves but very ordinary conditions.” That’s about as positive as it gets. There’s also a little window on Thursday the 17th and Friday the 18th where we get some clean, glassy conditions with a light cross-offshore wind, but again, the swell is tiny – 5ft from the WNW on the 17th morning, but with a short 7-second period, and 4ft on the 18th. It’s barely enough to get the kids on a foamie.

The water temperature is sitting at 64°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year. Not a game-changer for the surf, but you might not need the 5/4 for a while.

So, what’s the best on offer? Honestly, the standout is the morning of Thursday the 17th of September. The swell is 5ft from the WNW, the wind is a light cross-offshore from the SE at 3 mph, and it’s clean. The combined energy is 220 (moderate wave energy). It’s still not a classic, but it’s the cleanest, most rideable wave in a very bleak forecast. The other small window is the morning of Friday the 18th, with glassy conditions and a 4ft swell, but it’s only 6 seconds of period, so it’ll be a bit fat and weak.

We’ve got a long gap of no real surf from now until the 10th, and then again from the 11th to the 17th. It’s a tough run. With mostly onshore winds and weak swell, this setup looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer on most days.

Keep your chin up, lads. It tends not to stay this poor for too long around here. Forecasts can change, and we might get a late-season pulse. For now, it’s a waiting game.

Rusty.

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