Porthtowan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, looking over the charts for the next couple of weeks. It’s been a rough stretch, and honestly, it’s going to stay that way for a while. We’re looking at a real dry spell starting off.

For the next several days, from the 13th right through to the 23rd, it's pretty grim. The conditions are just blown out with strong onshore and cross-shore winds, and the wave quality is poor. There’s a stretch from the 13th to the 19th where it's particularly rough, with winds pushing 18 mph or more and a real mess on the water. We do get some size in there, like on the 15th with a 6 ft to 6 ft swell from the WNW, but that fresh breeze and onshore wind makes it a total write-off. Even when the combined energy jumps up – like on the 18th with a 6 ft swell from the WNW and a period of 14 seconds, giving us a very strong 1145 combined energy – the cross-onshore wind and chop kill it. It’s just not worth paddling out.

The first real glimmer of hope doesn't come until Sunday the 20th. For the morning session at Porthtowan, we get a 7 ft swell out of the WNW, a long 14-second period, and a light cross-offshore breeze from the SSW. The combined energy is a massive 1556, which is very strong. The note says "marginal" on the forecast, and with that kind of energy, it’s going to be a powerful, clean-looking wave. The water temperature is about average for this time of year. This is the standout for the whole run – if the winds hold, that morning could be proper.

After that, we’re back into the doldrums. The 21st and 22nd are blown out again with fresh winds, and the 23rd is choppy. Then on Thursday the 24th, we get another little window. Thursday morning looks clean with a light breeze from the SSW, a 5 ft swell from the W, and an 11-second period. The combined energy is a moderate 565. It’s not huge, but with that light cross-offshore wind, it’ll be clean and fun for a beginner to intermediate session. That afternoon, the wind swings around and chops it up.

The final week drops right off. By the 27th, we’re down to 2 ft to 3 ft swells with weak energy (84 to 114), and it’s just choppy and small. The 28th Monday morning has a little 3 ft swell from the W and a clean, light offshore wind from the ENE, giving us a combined energy of 219. It’s surfable, but very ordinary.

So to be honest, you’ve got one real highlight: the morning of the 20th. Get on it if you can. Otherwise, the morning of the 24th is the next best bet for a clean, smaller wave. The rest is a waiting game.

- Rusty

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