Surf Forecasts:
Porthtowan surf forecast from 30 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Monday 3 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period, WSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 3 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 3ft (0.9m), 9s period, WSW swell with 116 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Monday 3 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 9s period with WSW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Porthtowan this week:
The surf forecast for Porthtowan over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 4AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 9s period. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Porthtowan in the next 16 days are 0.9m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 03) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be glassy at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 6s period and expected on Monday (Aug 03) at 10PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 4AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 3rd Aug) | 3ft (0.9m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Porthtowan over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on the cards for Porthtowan.
To be straight with you, the next week and a half is pretty grim. We’ve got a long stretch of small, weak, and messy conditions. From Thursday the 30th of July right through to about Sunday the 9th of August, there’s nothing worth paddling out for. The swell barely lifts a whisper, and when it does, the wind’s all wrong—mostly cross or onshore. It’s going to be a frustrating wait.
The first real glimmer of hope comes on Monday morning, the 3rd of August. We’ll see a bit of a pulse from the WSW pushing through at 3ft, with a period of 9 seconds. The combined swell energy is a modest 114 (moderate), so there’s a bit of push there. The big winner though is the wind: glassy. Dead flat, clean water. For a beginner-friendly spot like Porthtowan, that’s a golden ticket for a few small, fun waves. The water’s sitting at 65°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won’t need a thick suit.
After that, it’s back to the doldrums until Sunday the 9th of August. The morning stays tiny, but the afternoon sees something change: a 6ft swell from the SW, with a 7-second period and a combined energy of 329 (strong). That’s a solid jump in size, and with clean, cross-off winds from the SSW at 12 mph, the waves should have some shape. However, at 6ft, this is starting to push past beginner territory—intermediate and up will find it more interesting.
Then the following Monday the 10th of August, the swell sticks around at 5ft from the WSW, with energy at 216 (strong), but the wind swings cross-shore, making it choppy and messy. Not a great one.
Looking further out, Tuesday the 11th of August has clean, cross-off winds with a storm risk, but the swell is tiny at 3ft. Not enough to get excited about.
The standout window is clearly that Monday morning, the 3rd of August. It’s not big, but for a clean, glassy session on a consistent wave, it’s your best bet in a very bleak outlook. After that, the Sunday the 9th of August afternoon offers the most size, but it’s a bit more of a handful.
Keep an eye on the forecasts, though; it tends not to stay this quiet for long.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 14°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 23°C on Mon afternoon, min 16°C on Sun night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 30 | Friday 31 | Saturday 1 | Sunday 2 | Monday 3 | Tuesday 4 | Wednesday 5 | |||||||||||||||
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) | W 8 | WNW 5 | WNW 8 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | SW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 7 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 6 | SW 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 32 | 28 | 20 | 33 | 21 | 33 | 41 | 39 | 35 | 36 | 19 | 86 | 113 | 80 | 58 | 37 | 25 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 15 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | off | cross-on | cross | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 6:48PM6.01m | 7:05AM5.84m | 7:22PM6.17m | 7:38AM5.94m | 7:55PM6.23m | 8:12AM5.97m | 8:29PM6.20m | 8:47AM5.91m | 9:05PM6.07m | 9:25AM5.77m | 9:45PM5.85m | 10:08AM5.55m | 10:32PM5.55m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 12:49PM0.78m | 1:12AM0.67m | 1:22PM0.63m | 1:44AM0.57m | 1:55PM0.57m | 2:17AM0.54m | 2:27PM0.60m | 2:50AM0.60m | 3:02PM0.71m | 3:25AM0.75m | 3:39PM0.89m | 4:05AM0.97m | 4:23PM1.14m | ||||||||
 |  |  |  | | | | |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:45 | — | — | 5:47 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:48 | — | — | 5:50 | — | — | 5:52 | — | — | 5:54 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:07 | — | — | 9:06 | — | — | 9:05 | — | — | 9:02 | — | — | 9:01 | — | — | 9:00 | — | 8:58 | — |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 22 | 23 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 17 |
Feels °C | 17 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | WNW 8 | W 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 5 | W 10 | NW 5 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | SW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 7 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 7 | SW 6 | SW 7 |
| kJ | 32 | 20 | 13 | 33 | 21 | 33 | 27 | 39 | 35 | 36 | 17 | 86 | 113 | 80 | 58 | 37 | 25 | 22 | 23 | 20 | 15 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | S 13 | S 13 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 7 | W 9 | WNW 6 | WNW 4 | WNW 6 | W 10 | NW 6 | — | E 7 | S 15 | N 4 | N 6 | SSW 7 | SSW 6 | W 10 | W 11 |
| kJ | 3 | 3 | 20 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 41 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 19 | 1 | — | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 9 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | W 12 | W 12 | N 4 | — | — | NW 6 | — | WNW 6 | — | — | — | S 15 | W 9 | W 9 | N 5 | W 10 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | 4 | — | — | — | 4 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 5 | WNW 5 | N 4 | N 4 | N 4 | WNW 4 | — | WNW 5 | N 3 | — | — | — | N 3 | N 3 | N 4 | — | — | — | N 3 | N 3 | NNW 4 |
| kJ | 19 | 28 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 9 | — | 14 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 4 | 5 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | 5 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 210 | 218 | 22 | 22 | 257 | 220 | 40 | 22 | 38 | 22 | 12 | 0 | 20 | 22 | 22 | 218 | 22 | 360 | 396 | 22 | |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Porthtowan Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Porthtowan provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Porthtowan can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Porthtowan 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 (Porthtowan) 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 Porthtowan 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.
Porthtowan is 8 km (5 miles) from Camborne. If you plan a holiday in North 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.
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