Porthtowan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get into it for Porthtowan.

Right off the bat, I’ve gotta be straight with you – the next week or so is a bit of a write-off. The wind is blowing from the wrong direction, mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell is coming in short and choppy. It’s a real frustrating stretch, especially for a spot that’s fairly exposed to the west-northwest. The water temp is about what you’d expect for this time of year, so no drama there, but you won’t be needing a spring suit for the waves because there aren’t any decent ones.

We start on Tuesday the 18th of August, and it’s a no-go. Westerly-northwest wind at 15 mph, onshore, with a 5ft swell and a short 6-second period. The combined energy is weak (188), and the report says it’s poor. This pattern holds through Thursday the 20th, with the swell actually building to 8ft on Thursday morning, but the wind is still onshore and the period is a bit better at 9 seconds. The energy gets moderate (812), but the conditions are still poor. Friday the 21st offers a little relief with a north-northeasterly cross-shore breeze, but the swell drops to 3ft and the period is only 8 seconds – still not worth paddling out.

Saturday the 22nd of August is the first glimmer. The wind swings to east-southeast at 9 mph, giving us a light cross-offshore breeze and clean conditions. The swell is tiny, though – just 2ft from the west with a 10-second period. The energy is weak (70). It’s surfable, but you’ll be scratching for waves. Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th are flat and sloppy, with the swell dropping to 0.7ft. Monday morning is glassy, but with a 0.7ft, 14-second period swell, it’s just a lake.

Now, here’s where it gets a bit interesting. Tuesday the 25th of August sees a change. A strong south-southeast wind at 19 mph blows offshore, and the swell picks up to 5ft from the west with a 9-second period. The energy is moderate (394). The report calls it marginal, but with fresh offshore wind and clean conditions, this is our first real window. It’s still a bit short-period, so it’ll be a bit lumpy, but for a beginner spot, this is the best on offer in the first week. The swell is at 5ft, so it’s pushing the limit for beginners – it’s doable, but you’ll want to be comfortable.

After that, it’s back to the same old story. The wind goes onshore again from the 26th to the 28th, with poor surf conditions. The swell comes and goes, but the wind kills it.

Finally, we get a proper standout towards the end of the month. Sunday the 30th of August morning is looking good. A light south wind at 6 mph gives us a cross-offshore breeze, making for clean conditions. The swell is 5ft from the west, with an 8-second period. The energy is moderate (272). The report says “expect good surf conditions.” This is the one to circle. The swell is a solid 5ft, clean, and the wind is light. It’s a good size for a beginner, and the cross-offshore wind will keep the faces tidy. This is the best wave of the period.

Monday the 31st of August gets a bit messy. The swell jumps to 10ft from the southwest on Monday afternoon, which is well into expert territory. The energy is strong (1020). And it continues into Tuesday the 1st of September with a 10ft, 10-second period swell from the west. The combined energy is very strong (1555). These are big, powerful swells, but the wind is cross-shore or cross-offshore, so it’s going to be a washing machine. This is more for the big-wave chargers, and even then, it’s marginal. The 10ft swell is too big for anyone but experts, and the short period (8-10 seconds) means it’ll be a bit of a mess.

So, to sum it up: the first week is a write-off. The best of the run is Sunday the 30th of August morning – clean, 5ft, light wind. The second-best is Tuesday the 25th of August with the offshore wind, but it’s a bit windier and the swell is smaller. The big swells at the end of the month are for experts only, and the conditions are marginal.

Rusty.

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