Porthtowan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s cooking for our stretch of coast over the next couple of weeks.

Right off the bat, I gotta be straight with you – it’s a bit of a slow start. We’re looking at a long, quiet spell with no real surf to get excited about until we get into the second week. The first surf recommendation doesn't show up until Tuesday the 18th of August, so that's a solid nine-day gap with nothing worth paddling out for. The waves we do see before then are tiny, weak, and mostly messy. The water temp is sitting at 66°F, which feels a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least a quick dip won't be a shock to the system.

Let's talk about the only period that offers a glimmer of hope. On Tuesday the 18th of August, we finally see a pulse of energy. Early that morning at Porthtowan, the swell bumps up to 5ft from the west, but the period is a short 7 seconds. The combined energy reading hits 279 (moderate energy), but the wind is blowing straight onshore from the northwest. It’s a marginal call at best, with some questionable tide conditions. By the afternoon, the swell drops to 4ft and the onshore wind sticks around, so it's not looking clean.

Then on Wednesday the 19th of August, the morning shows another pulse – 5ft from the north, a short 6-second period, and again onshore wind from the NNW. Combined energy is up to 341 (moderate energy), but the quality just isn’t there. This is really only going to be for the hardcore crew with a big board and low expectations. For most of us, it’s a skip.

Later in the week, from Friday the 21st into Saturday the 22nd of August, the winds finally shift offshore and clean up. We get some clean conditions with cross-offshore breezes from the east. But the problem is the swell is small – only 3ft to 3ft from the west, with a short 6 to 8-second period. The energy is weak (89 to 102). You might find a knee-high ripple that’s clean, but it’s more of a longboard cruise than a surf session.

All in all, this is a pretty tough outlook. For a spot like Porthtowan that's fairly exposed, it tends not to stay this poor for long, so forecasts can change, but right now, we're in a dry spell. If you're a kite surfer, the choppy onshore days might be more your speed, but for a paddle surfer, it's a waiting game.

Rusty, signing off.

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