Surf Forecasts:
Porthtowan surf forecast from 20 Jul 2026:
- Best quality surf: Thursday 23 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period, N swell with glassy winds.
- Most powerful swell: Sunday 26 Jul, 4PM (local time) - 6ft (1.9m), 7s period, WNW swell with 330 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 23 Jul, 7AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.8m), 6s period with N 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 Thursday (Jul 23) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.8m and 6s period with a secondary swell of 0.3m 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 1.9m 7s and forecast to arrive on Sunday (Jul 26) at 4PM. Winds are predicted to be onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.3m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Jul 23) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Thu 23rd Jul) | 2.5ft (0.8m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 4PM (Sun 26th Jul) | 6ft (1.9m) 7s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Porthtowan over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, Rusty here. Let’s talk about what’s happening at Porthtowan.
It’s gonna be a slow start, I’m not gonna lie. The first week and a half is pretty quiet with onshore breezes messing things up. We’ve got a long gap here with no real recommendations. From Monday the 20th right through to the end of July, the conditions are consistently poor. Winds are mostly cross-on or onshore, and the swell is small and weak. There’s a brief moment of calm on Thursday morning the 23rd with glassy conditions, but the swell is tiny at 2ft from the north, combined energy of all swells directed here is only 53 – just not enough to get excited about. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 65°, about 3° above average, so it’s a bit milder than usual for this time of year.
The real turn comes on Friday the 31st of July. That’s when we finally see something worth paddling out for. The swell picks up to 8ft from the west, with a period of 9 seconds, and combined energy of all swells directed here is a massive 1059. That’s a lot of power. The wind is cross-off from the ENE at 12 mph, keeping things clean. This is the standout of the window. However, at 8ft, this is for experienced surfers only – it’s too big for beginners. The break is fairly exposed to the WNW and the optimum swell direction is West-Northwest, so that west swell is working nicely. Keep in mind, Porthtowan can get crowded, so you’ll have company.
Saturday morning the 1st of August offers a bit of a follow-up. Swell drops to 4ft from the west, period 9 seconds, and the wind is offshore from the southeast at 12 mph. Combined energy is 359. That’s a much more manageable size, clean conditions, and a solid option for a wider range of surfers. The afternoon turns onshore and choppy, so get it early.
After that, it’s back to onshore winds and messy conditions through the first few days of August. The swell stays around 5ft to 7ft, but with cross-onshore winds, it’s not going to be clean. A bit of a shame, because there’s energy there – the 4th of August afternoon has 7ft at 10 seconds and combined energy of 1293, but the wind is cross-on from the WSW, blowing it out.
So, bottom line: the best bet is Friday the 31st of July for the big, clean swell – that’s the one for the experts. Saturday morning the 1st of August is your next best for a cleaner, more moderate session. The rest of the run is a waiting game.
Rusty out.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Mon morning, min 15°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryMostly dry. Warm (max 22°C on Thu morning, min 16°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (calm on Thu morning, fresh winds from the WNW by Sat afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Monday 20 | Tuesday 21 | Wednesday 22 | Thursday 23 | Friday 24 | Saturday 25 | Sunday 26 | |||||||||||||||
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) | N 5 | WNW 11 | N 5 | N 6 | N 6 | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 | N 6 | N 5 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | WNW 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 16 | 24 | 55 | 50 | 49 | 45 | 67 | 64 | 50 | 31 | 20 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 24 | 59 | 112 | 233 | 330 | 277 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | cross-on | glassy | on | cross-on | cross-on | on | on | on | cross-on | on | on | on | on |
High Tide | 10:10AM5.54m | 10:32PM5.58m | 10:57AM5.17m | 11:21PM5.12m | 11:50AM4.83m | 00:18AM4.74m | 12:52PM4.59m | 1:26AM4.50m | 2:03PM4.50m | 2:39AM4.47m | 3:12PM4.61m | 3:43AM4.63m | 4:10PM4.85m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:29PM1.08m | 4:58AM1.24m | 5:16PM1.47m | 5:45AM1.62m | 6:09PM1.82m | 6:41AM1.93m | 7:14PM2.05m | 7:50AM2.10m | 8:30PM2.11m | 9:03AM2.07m | 9:40PM1.97m | 10:06AM1.88m | 10:37PM1.71m | ||||||||
 | |  | | | | |  | | | | | | |  | |  | |  | | | |
 | 5:31 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:33 | — | — | 5:35 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:37 | — | — | 5:39 | — | — |
 | — | — | 9:21 | — | — | 9:20 | — | — | 9:19 | — | — | 9:16 | — | — | 9:15 | — | — | 9:15 | — | — | 9:14 |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — |
Temp °C | 22 | 21 | 18 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
Feels °C | 20 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 16 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 5 | WNW 11 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | N 6 | N 5 | N 5 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 9 | SW 11 | WNW 10 | S 11 | SW 16 | WNW 8 |
| kJ | 16 | 24 | 38 | 33 | 33 | 31 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 31 | 20 | 7 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 277 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 11 | W 8 | W 8 | W 7 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 16 | SW 15 | SW 14 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | N 5 | N 5 | NW 10 | W 8 | S 18 | SW 11 | — | S 12 | SW 12 |
| kJ | 12 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 5 | — | 3 | 6 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 8 | SW 18 | SW 18 | SW 16 | W 7 | W 7 | S 16 | — | — | SW 15 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | — | W 12 | — | — | — |
| kJ | 6 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 5 | — | — | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | — | 3 | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 | N 6 | N 5 | N 5 | N 5 | N 6 | — | — | — | — | — | NW 2 | WNW 5 | WNW 5 | WNW 6 | WNW 7 | WNW 7 | N 5 |
| kJ | — | 16 | 55 | 50 | 49 | 45 | 67 | 64 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 24 | 59 | 112 | 233 | 330 | 10 |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 38 | 737 | 228 | 82 | 22 | 236 | 394 | 560 | 26 | 11 | 686 | 503 | 416 | 749 | 556 | 392 | 742 | 157 | 696 | 157 | 23 |
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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