Porthtowan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, surfers, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s heading our way for Porthtowan. The long and short of it is, we’ve got a real mixed bag coming. It’s gonna be a tough wait for anything truly clean.

The water’s sitting at 64°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you might get away with a thinner wetsuit if you’re brave.

For the first week, it’s pretty grim. We start off on Friday, the 4th, with some decent sized swell, around 8ft from the West, but the wind is howling onshore from the WNW at 19 mph. The wave energy is moderate (766), but the conditions are just poor. That onshore wind is making a mess of things. This pattern holds through Saturday and Sunday, with the swell dropping off and the wind staying cross or onshore. It’s not worth paddling out for; the setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing right now.

Monday the 7th pushes a big pulse through – 8ft from the West with a nice long period of 13 seconds, and the combined swell energy jumps right up to strong (1759). But again, that westerly wind kills it. Tuesday is more of the same: fresh cross-onshore wind and lumpy surf. It’s a frustrating pattern.

We finally get a window late in the first week. On Saturday the 12th, things change. The swell drops to a smaller 3ft to 4ft from the West, but the wind goes glassy in the morning and then light offshore from the ESE in the afternoon. That’s the kind of clean, lined-up surf we’ve been waiting for. It’s a beginner-friendly size and the wave energy is moderate (275 to 297). The water is still that touch warmer. The quality is the standout of the whole run, but it’s not going to be big. Expect some fun, clean waves. It will be a good time on a log or a funboard.

After that small window, it drops right off and goes quiet for several days. From Sunday the 13th through Tuesday the 15th, the swell is tiny and the wind is messy, so it’s a proper lull. You can leave the boards at home.

Then the second week kicks off on Wednesday the 16th. We see a new swell arrive, 5ft from the West with a 11-second period, and the combined energy hits moderate (870). But the wind is straight onshore from the North, turning the surf choppy again. Not good.

There is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Look at Friday the 18th of September. The swell jumps to 7ft from the West, with moderate energy (830), and for the morning we get a clean cross-offshore wind from the ENE at just 6 mph. That’s a promising pulse, and the conditions are set up to be really good. It’s a long-range call, so less certain, but that Friday morning window is the best bet of the whole second week for a solid, clean wave. It’s on the bigger side, so not for beginners, but if you’re comfortable in that size, it could be the one.

So to wrap it up: the first week is mostly a write-off with wind, but Saturday the 12th offers a little clean, small window. The second week has a lull, but Friday the 18th morning is the real standout to keep an eye on.

Rusty.

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