Surf Forecasts:
Porthleven surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 8s period, WSW swell with offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Friday 28 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 13ft (4.0m), 10s period, W swell with 3,300 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s period with SW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Porthleven this week:
The surf forecast for Porthleven over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Sunday (Aug 23) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 10s period. The wind is predicted to be offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Porthleven in the next 16 days are 4.0m 10s and forecast to arrive on Friday (Aug 28) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.4m 7s period and expected on Monday (Aug 24) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 10AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Fri 28th Aug) | 13ft (4.0m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Porthleven over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's talk about this stretch ahead for Porthleven. I've gotta be straight with you – the next week and a half or so looks pretty bleak for any decent paddle surfing. We've got a long period of marginal or poor conditions to get through before we see a flicker of life. There are no solid surf options for a while, but don't lose hope just yet.
Starting off on Sunday the 23rd, we've got tiny waves, only about 1ft to 1ft of swell. That's nothing to get excited about, and we're getting a moderate breeze from the east keeping things clean but cross-off. The water temperature is sitting at a comfortable 64°F, which is pretty much average for this time of year.
Through Monday the 24th and Tuesday the 25th, the swell stays small and weak, under 2ft, with the combined swell energy barely scratching into the low two digits (38 to 109). The winds are moderate to strong from the east and southeast, so it's clean but tiny. By Wednesday the 26th, the wind shifts and starts getting messy, with a cross-onshore from the SSE and a storm risk.
Thursday the 27th sees a jump in swell size – we've got 6ft in the morning from the SSW and 5ft in the afternoon. But the wind is onshore or cross-onshore, and it's chop city with those storms brewing. The energy is building (428 to 678), but the quality isn't there for us.
Then, on the morning of Friday the 28th, we finally get a window. The wind goes offshore from the northeast at 12 mph, and we've got a clean 3ft swell from the south with a combined energy of 329. It's not massive, but for the first time in the forecast, we're looking at moderate offshore and clean conditions that might actually be worth a paddle. This is a standout moment, but the window is small. The afternoon goes back to a messy cross-shore.
Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th are a write-off. Swell is big – from 7ft up to 10ft – but it's all coming with strong, messy onshore and cross-onshore winds from the west. The energy readings are huge (over 1000), but it's blown-out and lumpy. That 10ft morning on the 29th is only for experts and the wind is just making it nasty.
After that, from Monday the 31st through to Thursday the 3rd of September, the swell drops back to almost nothing – under 1ft most times. The winds are often clean and light, but there's simply no swell to ride. The energy values are tiny (15 to 69). It's a real flat spell.
Then things get interesting again late in the forecast. On Friday the 4th of September, we see a solid 8ft swell from the west-southwest with a period of 9 seconds and combined energy of 1269. But the morning is onshore, so it's poor. The afternoon, however, brings a marginal change – the wind goes to a gentle cross-shore from the northwest at 9 mph, making for a slight cross-chop. That's our other standout window, but it's only a "marginal" call and the swell is big (8ft), so it's only for the experts who are hungry.
Saturday the 5th and into the 7th of September, we're back to big, messy, and onshore conditions with swells hitting 13ft and winds gusting to near-gale force. That's not for paddle surfing. With those strong cross-onshore winds and a beach setup, the whole stretch from the 29th to the 7th honestly looks more suited for kite surfing than a traditional paddle session.
So to wrap it up: Friday morning the 28th is your best early bet for some clean, fun-sized waves. For the bigger stuff, keep an eye on the afternoon of Friday the 4th of September if you're an expert and don't mind a little chop. Otherwise, this forecast is mostly a long wait with a lot of windy, messy, or flat days.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 20°C on Tue morning, min 16°C on Sun night). Winds decreasing (strong winds from the E on Mon morning, light winds from the SSW by Tue night). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 20mm), heaviest during Fri morning. Very mild (max 19°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | |||||||||||||||
AM | 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) | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | S 6 | SSW 8 | WSW 8 | SSW 7 | WSW 8 | SW 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
39 | 47 | 39 | 18 | 17 | 25 | 74 | 94 | 79 | 50 | 34 | 182 | 393 | 347 | 143 | 112 | 560 | 2488 | 1368 | 959 | 671 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross | off | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:28PM3.38m | 3:01AM3.38m | 3:28PM3.62m | 3:53AM3.62m | 4:14PM3.91m | 4:34AM3.89m | 4:52PM4.21m | 5:10AM4.15m | 5:25PM4.49m | 5:42AM4.38m | 5:57PM4.71m | 6:13AM4.57m | 6:28PM4.87m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:05PM1.64m | 9:33AM1.53m | 10:08PM1.35m | 10:25AM1.22m | 10:53PM1.02m | 11:06AM0.90m | 11:30PM0.70m | 11:42AM0.61m | 00:05AM0.42m | 12:16PM0.37m | 00:39AM0.21m | 12:51PM0.20m | 1:13AM0.08m | ||||||||
6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | |
— | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:13 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | — | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Temp °C | 18 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 14 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 10 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 11 | WSW 8 | SSW 7 | S 7 | SE 5 | — | — | — | — |
39 | 47 | 24 | 18 | 17 | 25 | 74 | 94 | 79 | 50 | 31 | 18 | 20 | 347 | 143 | 112 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | WSW 10 | SSW 14 | SW 9 | W 9 | SSW 13 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SSW 8 | SSW 4 | SSW 7 | SW 12 | WSW 10 | SSW 9 | W 8 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | — |
14 | 19 | 39 | 13 | 6 | 17 | 18 | 35 | 26 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 270 | 80 | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | NNW 5 | SW 12 | — | W 9 | SW 9 | SSW 9 | SSW 13 | SW 13 | E 6 | SW 7 | SW 12 | W 12 | WSW 7 | W 11 | W 10 | S 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
2 | 6 | — | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 7 | 16 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 61 | 96 | 71 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 4 | ESE 5 | ESE 6 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | E 7 | SSW 3 | — | SSE 4 | S 6 | SSW 8 | — | — | WSW 8 | SW 9 | W 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 |
7 | 25 | 55 | 414 | 578 | 392 | 358 | 124 | 8 | — | 34 | 182 | 393 | — | — | 83 | 560 | 2488 | 1368 | 959 | 671 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 16 | 16 | 0 | 393 | 231 | 179 | 54 | 173 | 15 | 16 | 174 | 27 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 0 | 19 | 16 | 547 | 536 | 598 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Porthleven Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Porthleven provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Porthleven can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Porthleven 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 (Porthleven) 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 Porthleven 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.
Porthleven is 15 km (9 miles) from Camborne. If you plan a holiday in South Cornwall, look for hotels and other accommodation in Camborne. Camborne has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.











