Surf Forecasts:
Porthtowan surf forecast from 7 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Wednesday 9 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s period, WSW swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 6.5ft (2.0m), 12s period, W swell with 1,084 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Wednesday 9 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 8s 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 Wednesday (Sep 09) at 10PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.6m and 9s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Porthtowan in the next 16 days are 2.0m 12s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-shore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.1m 16s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 10PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 10PM (Wed 9th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 8s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Mon 7th Sep) | 6.5ft (2.0m) 12s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Porthtowan over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Gotta be straight with you – this is a tough one. The next 16 days are looking pretty grim for Porthtowan. The data is showing a whole lot of "poor surf conditions" with only a tiny window that looks even remotely rideable. This is one of those stretches where you might be better off checking the cams from the pub.
Right now, the water is sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least the wait won't be cold.
The first real chance to get wet comes on Friday, the 11th of September. The morning session is the only time frame that isn't a total write-off. We’ve got a 5ft swell rolling in from the west, with a period of 9 seconds. Combined energy is moderate (355), but the key here is the wind. It’s a light cross-offshore breeze from the south-southwest, which should keep the face clean. The rating is low, but it's the only window that says "expect good surf conditions." It’s a beginner break, so that 5ft is manageable, but it's right on the edge of being too much for a total novice. The break is fairly consistent, and the swell direction from the west is a good match for the optimum WNW. Crowds are often here, so you won't be alone.
After that morning, it's back to the grind. The rest of the 16 days is a wasteland of messy, onshore, and choppy conditions. We’ve got a pulse of bigger swell around the 15th and 16th of September, with 5ft to 6ft waves and a long period of 11 seconds, but the wind is straight onshore or cross-onshore from the northwest, making it a complete mess. The combined energy reaches 718 on the 15th, but with that wind, it’s unsurfable. That setup is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.
Honestly, there are no standouts here. The only call is a slim one for next Friday morning. Don't get your hopes up for the rest.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 19mm), heaviest on Mon night. Very mild (max 17°C on Mon afternoon, min 14°C on Mon night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Tue afternoon, calm by Wed night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 5mm), mostly falling on Sat night. Very mild (max 18°C on Sat night, min 13°C on Fri night). Winds increasing (calm on Fri night, fresh winds from the SW by Sat afternoon). | |||||||||||||||||||
Mon 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | ||||||||||||||
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 12 | W 11 | W 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WSW 7 | WSW 5 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 |
Wave Graph  | ||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 1218 | 999 | 627 | 627 | 617 | 254 | 140 | 73 | 57 | 40 | 723 | 348 | 196 | 98 | 194 | 127 | 377 | 490 | 356 | 262 |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-on | cross | cross-on | on | on | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on | glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | on | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:27AM5.10m | 3:55PM5.55m | 4:25AM5.59m | 4:47PM6.06m | 5:12AM6.03m | 5:31PM6.48m | 5:53AM6.36m | 6:11PM6.74m | 6:31AM6.55m | 6:48PM6.80m | 7:07AM6.57m | 7:24PM6.68m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 9:28PM1.42m | 9:55AM1.32m | 10:29PM0.91m | 10:49AM0.82m | 11:18PM0.45m | 11:34AM0.41m | 11:59PM0.11m | 12:14PM0.13m | 00:37AM-0.05m | 12:50PM0.01m | 1:11AM-0.04m | 1:25PM0.06m | 1:44AM0.13m | |||||||
 |  |  |  |  | |  | | | | | | | | |  |  | | |  | |
 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — |
 | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:44 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:39 | — |
mm | — | 17 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 16 | 16 |
Feels °C | 13 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 12 | SW 12 | W 9 | — | WSW 8 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WNW 8 | WSW 7 | — | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 10 | W 10 | S 14 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 |
| kJ | 1218 | 5 | 627 | — | 188 | 254 | 140 | 73 | 22 | 18 | — | 348 | 196 | 98 | 194 | 127 | 4 | 490 | 356 | 262 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 12 | — | SW 11 | — | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | N 5 | WNW 7 | — | — | S 16 | N 4 | WNW 14 | NW 13 | — | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 13 |
| kJ | 6 | — | 5 | — | 197 | 108 | 55 | 39 | 2 | 10 | — | — | 5 | 3 | 41 | 42 | — | 7 | 7 | 3 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | NW 6 | N 5 | N 6 | W 12 | W 11 | — | — | — | WNW 10 | N 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 19 | 10 | 11 | 9 | — | — | — | 20 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | W 11 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | N 5 | — | — | WSW 7 | WSW 5 | W 9 | — | — | — | — | WSW 5 | W 8 | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | 999 | 516 | 627 | 617 | 28 | — | — | 57 | 40 | 723 | — | — | — | — | 39 | 377 | — | — | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 57 | 19 | 58 | 218 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 194 | 17 | 23 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 210 | 218 | 23 | 23 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Cornwall | ||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The surf report / weather widget below is available to embed on third party websites free of charge and provides a summary of our Porthtowan surf forecast. Simply grab the html code snippet that we provide and paste it into your own site. You can choose your preferred language and metric/imperial units for the surf forecast feed to suit users of your site. Click here to get the code.
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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