Surf Forecasts:
Porthtowan surf forecast from 11 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 11 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 10s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Saturday 11 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 10s period, W swell with 94 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 11 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 10s period with W 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 Saturday (Jul 11) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Porthtowan in the next 16 days are 0.7m 10s and forecast to arrive on Saturday (Jul 11) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 2.2m 8s period and expected on Tuesday (Jul 14) at 4AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Sat 11th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sat 11th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 10s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Sat 11th Jul) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Porthtowan over the next 16 days.
Alright, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for Porthtowan over the next couple of weeks.
Honestly, I’m looking at this 16-day run and it’s a real tough one. We’ve got a big gap of nothing worthwhile at the start. The first few days, from Saturday the 11th right through to at least Tuesday the 15th, it’s just poor surf conditions. The swell is tiny, mostly under 3 ft, and the wind is cross-off or cross, but the energy is weak – the combined energy is barely scraping into three figures, often sitting in the 40s, 50s, or 70s (weak). It’s clean, sure, but there’s simply no wave to ride.
The first sign of anything surfable creeps in on Wednesday morning, the 15th of July. We’ve got a tiny 1 ft swell from the west with a light offshore breeze from the ESE, which makes for clean conditions. The combined energy is only 73 (weak), and the period is a short 9 seconds, so it’s not going to be powerful. The score is a 1 out of 10 – surfable but very ordinary. It’s a beginner wave at best.
After that, it’s back to a long dry spell. From Wednesday afternoon right through to the end of the 16-day window, we’re looking at mostly poor surf conditions. The swell pops up a little here and there – like 4 ft on Saturday the 18th from the north, but the wind is onshore from the NNW at 12 mph, making it choppy and messy. The combined energy on that Saturday morning is 99 (weak). Later in the week, the energy climbs a bit – on the 22nd of July, we see 158 (moderate) in the morning, but the swell is only 2 ft and the wind is cross-onshore from the WNW at 16 mph, creating a lumpy, choppy surface. Not a good time.
The water temperature is about average for the time of year, nothing unusual to report.
For a beginner spot like Porthtowan, which is fairly exposed to a WNW swell, this is a classic blank run. The consistency is fair, but the quality just isn’t there. If you’re desperate for a paddle, the Wednesday morning of the 15th is your only real shot, and even then, keep expectations low. Otherwise, it’s a waiting game. Forecasts can change, but right now, this stretch looks more interesting for a kite surfer than a paddle surfer, given the onshore winds and bumpy conditions.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 28°C on Sun afternoon, min 19°C on Sun night). Winds increasing (light winds from the ENE on Fri night, fresh winds from the E by Mon morning). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 25°C on Tue afternoon, min 18°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Saturday 11 | Sunday 12 | Monday 13 | Tuesday 14 | Wednesday 15 | Thursday 16 | Friday 17 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | W 9 | N 6 | N 6 | N 5 | N 6 | NNE 6 | SSW 19 | N 6 | NNE 6 | W 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | SW 6 | SW 7 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | N 5 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 92 | 60 | 64 | 41 | 20 | 21 | 37 | 37 | 56 | 56 | 37 | 31 | 27 | 25 | 14 | 21 | 43 | 26 | 16 | 16 | 43 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | on | glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | on | on | on |
High Tide | 3:02PM5.37m | 3:35AM5.50m | 4:06PM5.71m | 4:37AM5.81m | 5:04PM6.09m | 5:32AM6.09m | 5:56PM6.43m | 6:23AM6.30m | 6:46PM6.67m | 7:11AM6.39m | 7:33PM6.74m | 7:57AM6.34m | 8:18PM6.65m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 8:53AM1.32m | 9:29PM1.21m | 10:02AM1.07m | 10:35PM0.86m | 11:03AM0.75m | 11:34PM0.50m | 11:57AM0.46m | 00:27AM0.21m | 12:47PM0.24m | 1:17AM0.04m | 1:34PM0.15m | 2:03AM0.03m | 2:18PM0.21m | 2:48AM0.18m | |||||||
 | |  |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 5:22 | — | — | 5:22 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:24 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:26 | — | — | 5:28 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:29 | — | — | 9:29 | — | — | 9:28 | — | — | 9:27 | — | — | 9:25 | — | — | 9:24 | — | — | 9:23 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 27 | 27 | 25 | 27 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 26 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 24 | 24 | 24 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 17 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 22 | 21 | 18 | 16 | 18 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 10 | N 6 | N 6 | N 6 | N 5 | N 6 | NNE 6 | N 6 | N 6 | NNE 6 | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 | SSW 7 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 7 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 6 | SW 5 |
| kJ | 92 | 31 | 64 | 41 | 20 | 21 | 37 | 25 | 56 | 56 | 21 | 21 | 24 | 18 | 10 | 19 | 43 | 26 | 16 | 15 | 7 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 5 | W 9 | WNW 9 | ESE 8 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | SSW 19 | SSW 19 | ESE 8 | SE 7 | SE 7 | W 10 | SSW 8 | N 6 | W 9 | W 8 | N 6 | NNW 5 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
| kJ | 12 | 60 | 26 | 37 | 6 | 6 | 37 | 37 | 43 | 27 | 25 | 31 | 22 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SE 5 | ESE 7 | SE 6 | WNW 8 | SW 21 | SW 15 | SW 15 | SW 15 | W 12 | W 11 | W 11 | SSW 6 | W 9 | W 9 | N 5 | SSW 14 | W 9 | W 8 | N 4 | SSW 13 | SW 11 |
| kJ | 7 | 18 | 6 | 14 | 18 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 26 | 21 | 37 | 4 | 27 | 25 | 2 | 21 | 14 | 12 | 3 | 16 | 5 |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | E 7 | E 6 | ENE 3 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 8 | ESE 7 | E 8 | E 8 | E 7 | SE 4 | — | — | NW 3 | — | — | — | — | NW 4 | N 5 |
| kJ | — | 196 | 60 | 2 | 81 | 75 | 165 | 99 | 551 | 517 | 306 | 3 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 43 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 15 | 18 | 0 | 15 | 244 | 392 | 381 | 387 | 15 | 152 | 33 | 10 | 0 | 158 | 38 | 250 | 11 | 22 | 280 | 745 | 416 |
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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