Surf Forecasts:
Porth Ceriad surf forecast from 17 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 18 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Wednesday 19 Aug, 7PM (local time) - 5.5ft (1.7m), 6s period, SW swell with 223 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 18 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 6s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Porth Ceriad this week:
The surf forecast for Porth Ceriad over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Tuesday (Aug 18) at 10AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.1m and 16s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Porth Ceriad in the next 16 days are 1.7m 6s and forecast to arrive on Wednesday (Aug 19) at 7PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.1m 5s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Tue 18th Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 7PM (Wed 19th Aug) | 5.5ft (1.7m) 6s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Porth Ceriad over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, it’s Rusty here with a look at the 16-day surf picture for Porth Ceriad. I gotta be straight with you—this stretch is a tough one. Right from the start, it’s a desert. There are no good surf options on offer in this entire 16-day window. We’re looking at a blank run that’s pretty normal for this area when the conditions just don’t line up.
Let’s talk about what we’ve got. The water here is running at 67°F, which is a whopping 6°F warmer than usual for this time of year—that’s very unusual, but it won’t help the waves.
The first week is a grind. On Sunday afternoon the 16th, there’s barely a bump: 0.3ft from the southwest, period a weak 7 seconds, combined swell energy at just 2. That’s nothing. It’s cross-on and messy. Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th see a tiny lift to 2ft and 2ft, both from the southwest, but the energy is pathetic—13 and 43 respectively. The wind tries to help with a clean cross-off on Tuesday morning, but the swell is just too small to do anything with. Wednesday the 19th sees the swell push up to 5ft from the WSW, energy hitting 103 (moderate), but it’s all wrecked by a fresh cross-shore wind and lumpy chop. Thursday the 20th drops back to 3ft from the SW, and while the morning is clean with a cross-off breeze, it’s still just poor surf. Friday the 21st through the rest of the month? It’s a flat spell. Swell heights drop to 0.3ft with long periods up to 15 seconds, but that’s a ghost—no energy with combined values around 10. The wind is offshore and clean, but you cannot ride what isn’t there.
Into the second week, it doesn’t get better. Monday the 25th and Tuesday the 26th stay flat at 0.3ft. Wednesday the 26th sees a small bump to 2ft from the SW, energy at 35, but it’s crossed up again. The rest of the week is more of the same: tiny dribbles or outright zeros. By Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th, we get a bit of a pulse—5ft to 5ft from the WSW, energy climbing to 344 on Sunday morning—but the wind is a near gale or strong cross-shore, making it a total washout. That’s kite-surfing territory, not paddle.
So here’s the honest truth: Porth Ceriad is a beginner-friendly, fairly consistent spot when it's on, but this 16-day window is a dud. There are no standouts. No best on offer. Sometimes it just goes like this, and forecasts can change, but for now, leave the board at home.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Sun night. Very mild (max 19°C on Tue afternoon, min 14°C on Wed morning). Winds increasing (light winds from the NW on Sun night, fresh winds from the W by Tue night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Wed night. Very mild (max 17°C on Wed night, min 12°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the N on Thu afternoon, light winds from the NNE by Fri night). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sun 16 | Monday 17 | Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | ||||||||||||||
PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 7 | SW 4 | SW 5 | SW 5 | SW 4 | SW 6 | SW 6 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | SW 6 | WSW 7 | SW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | NW 5 | NW 4 | W 16 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
2 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 23 | 38 | 26 | 29 | 103 | 165 | 144 | 54 | 26 | 10 | 22 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 8 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on | cross | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off | off |
High Tide | 11:35PM4.56m | 11:55AM4.03m | 00:15AM4.20m | 12:35PM3.75m | 00:56AM3.78m | 1:17PM3.43m | 1:41AM3.34m | 2:05PM3.11m | 2:38AM2.96m | 3:15PM2.85m | 4:06AM2.73m | 4:55PM2.79m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 6:16PM0.37m | 6:46AM0.37m | 6:49PM0.61m | 7:18AM0.70m | 7:22PM0.88m | 7:50AM1.04m | 7:58PM1.17m | 8:25AM1.34m | 8:46PM1.43m | 9:17AM1.59m | 10:04PM1.63m | 10:53AM1.71m | 00:05AM1.62m | |||||||
— | — | 6:01 | — | — | 6:03 | — | — | 6:05 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:07 | — | — | 6:09 | — | — | |
8:43 | — | — | 8:40 | — | — | 8:38 | — | — | 8:37 | — | — | 8:34 | — | — | 8:31 | — | — | 8:30 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 15 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
Feels °C | 13 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 10 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 7 | W 7 | SW 5 | SW 5 | — | SW 6 | NW 4 | W 17 | — | — | SW 16 | SW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 6 | NW 5 | NW 4 | SW 5 | NW 4 | SW 15 | SW 15 |
2 | 1 | 13 | 7 | — | 38 | 2 | 6 | — | — | 10 | 54 | 26 | 10 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 8 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | NW 3 | — | W 16 | W 17 | — | — | — | — | W 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WSW 6 | WSW 6 | SW 13 | SW 15 | SW 12 | W 12 |
— | — | — | 2 | — | 5 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 3 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 14 | SW 13 | W 16 | W 5 | — | W 12 |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 7 | 5 | 1 | — | 3 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | SW 4 | NW 3 | — | SW 4 | NW 4 | SW 6 | WSW 4 | WSW 5 | SW 6 | WSW 7 | NW 4 | NW 5 | NNW 5 | — | — | N 4 | ENE 2 | NNW 3 | N 4 |
— | 7 | 2 | — | 23 | 5 | 26 | 29 | 103 | 165 | 144 | 15 | 44 | 34 | — | — | 7 | 1 | 7 | 7 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 317 | 200 | 303 | 317 | 550 | 0 | 503 | 303 | 298 | 303 | 738 | 126 | 460 | 138 | 133 | 306 | 189 | 303 | 273 | 186 |
Best forecast wave conditions in Lleyn Peninsula | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Porth Ceriad Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Porth Ceriad provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Porth Ceriad can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Porth Ceriad surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Porth Ceriad) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Porth Ceriad may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Porth Ceriad is 29 km (18 miles) from Porthmadog. If you plan a holiday in Lleyn Peninsula, look for hotels and other accommodation in Porthmadog. Porthmadog has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











