Surf Forecasts:
Porthtowan surf forecast from 3 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 5 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s period, W swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 7 Sep, 7AM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 13s period, W swell with 2,106 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Saturday 5 Sep, 7PM (local time) - 4ft (1.2m), 11s 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 (Sep 05) at 7PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 1.2m and 11s period with a secondary swell of 0.2m and 13s. The wind is predicted to be glassy as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Porthtowan in the next 16 days are 2.5m 13s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Sep 07) at 7AM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.9m 4s period and expected on Sunday (Sep 06) at 7AM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7PM (Sat 5th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 11s |
| Best Surf | 7PM (Sat 5th Sep) | 4ft (1.2m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 7AM (Mon 7th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 13s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Porthtowan over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Porthtowan. It’s a pretty grim outlook for the next couple of weeks, if I’m being honest. We’ve got some surf on the horizon, but it’s going to be a long wait for anything decent.
The first week is a real write-off. From Thursday the 3rd right through to the Monday the 14th, the conditions are just poor. We’ve got messy wind, lumpy chop, and just generally awful surf. There’s a bit of size on the Friday the 4th with a 7ft swell from the W, but the wind is howling cross-on at 15 mph, and it’s just a choppy mess. The energy is moderate (761). The water is a touch warmer than normal at 64°F, but that’s the only good news.
The real kicker is Monday the 7th. We see a big 8ft W swell with a long 13-second period, and the combined energy is massive (1822). That’s proper groundswell. But the wind is blowing straight onshore at 15 mph from the NW. That’s just going to be a blown-out, ugly closeout. For the experienced lads, maybe there’s a rogue wave, but for the average punter, it’s a day to stay dry. Later that week, the wind is still too strong, and the swell is dropping.
We do get a little window of hope on Tuesday the 15th. The morning is looking glassy with a clean 4ft swell from the W. The combined energy is a modest 290, and the wind is a light offshore breeze from the ENE. The period is a middling 9 seconds, so it’s not a world-beater, but for the first time in almost two weeks, the surf might actually be clean and rideable. The crowd profile at Porthtowan says it can get busy, and with a clean forecast like this, it’ll likely be. This is the standout.
The rest of the second week is a bit of a letdown. The 16th has some glassy mornings with small 3ft to 3ft swell, but it’s weak energy (224 and 164). It’s surfable, but very ordinary. By Thursday the 17th, the wind picks up again and we’re back to poor conditions.
So, the long and short of it: The conditions are a bit of a wasteland for the next 12 days. The only real standout is the morning of the 15th. If you can get out then, you might snag some clean, glassy lines. It’s not big, but it’ll be the best you’ll get.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Thu night. Warm (max 20°C on Thu afternoon, min 15°C on Fri night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the WSW on Thu night, calm by Sat afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Mon night. Warm (max 22°C on Sun morning, min 13°C on Mon night). Mainly fresh winds. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday 3 | Friday 4 | Saturday 5 | Sunday 6 | Monday 7 | Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 6 | W 8 | W 9 | WNW 10 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 13 | W 12 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 7 | W 7 | WSW 7 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 308 | 308 | 290 | 687 | 627 | 640 | 636 | 407 | 188 | 79 | 53 | 268 | 1822 | 1444 | 968 | 766 | 593 | 556 | 200 | 146 | 408 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross-on | off | off | cross-off | cross | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-off | cross-on |
High Tide | 10:06PM5.53m | 10:33AM5.29m | 11:07PM5.05m | 11:43AM4.91m | 00:30AM4.71m | 1:16PM4.78m | 2:07AM4.73m | 2:47PM5.05m | 3:27AM5.10m | 3:55PM5.55m | 4:25AM5.59m | 4:47PM6.06m | |||||||||
Low Tide | 3:57PM1.06m | 4:24AM1.31m | 4:55PM1.48m | 5:30AM1.73m | 6:18PM1.81m | 7:05AM1.94m | 8:02PM1.80m | 8:43AM1.76m | 9:28PM1.42m | 9:55AM1.32m | 10:29PM0.91m | 10:49AM0.82m | 11:18PM0.45m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | |  | | | | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:37 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:39 | — | — | 6:41 | — | — | 6:43 | — | — | 6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — |
 | — | 8:01 | — | — | 8:00 | — | — | 7:58 | — | — | 7:54 | — | — | 7:52 | — | — | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | 6 |
Temp °C | 19 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
Feels °C | 18 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 13 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 15 | SW 15 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SW 14 | WNW 10 | WNW 12 | WNW 11 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | S 5 | W 13 | W 12 | S 11 | WSW 10 | S 11 | S 11 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 13 |
| kJ | 36 | 60 | 47 | 33 | 33 | 640 | 636 | 407 | 188 | 79 | 53 | 13 | 1822 | 1444 | 2 | 78 | 2 | 2 | 65 | 25 | 3 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SSW 13 | SW 12 | W 16 | S 12 | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 |
| kJ | — | — | — | 41 | 20 | 32 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 6 | 121 | 3 | 5 | — | — | — | — | 8 | 7 | 1 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SSW 12 | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 10 | S 10 | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 6 | W 8 | W 9 | — | — | — | SE 3 | SSE 5 | S 5 | W 9 | — | — | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | WNW 8 | W 7 | W 7 | WSW 7 |
| kJ | 308 | 308 | 290 | 687 | 627 | — | — | — | 3 | 37 | 21 | 268 | — | — | 968 | 766 | 593 | 556 | 200 | 146 | 408 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 17 | 208 | 227 | 160 | 218 | 104 | 11 | 16 | 0 | 67 | 5 | 17 | 58 | 282 | 165 | 218 | 210 | 159 | 17 | 17 | 286 |
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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