Porthtowan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way for the next couple of weeks.

Honestly, for the next 16 days, the surf window is looking pretty bleak for paddle surfing around here. There’s a long, dry stretch with hardly anything worth getting wet for. The first proper chance of any surf isn’t until Saturday the 12th of September, and even that is a marginal call. After that, we’re into a run of days that are more about strong winds and messy conditions than decent waves. There is a big spike in size right at the very end of the outlook, on Monday the 21st of September, but it comes with poor conditions that are going to be more interesting for the kite crowd.

Let’s break it down. The first bit of hope shows up on Saturday the 12th of September at Porthtowan. We’ve got a morning session with a clean, cross-off wind from the SW. The swell is coming from the WSW at 5ft, with a period of 7 seconds – so it’s a short-period, weak windswell, with the combined energy at a lowly (267). The water is a touch warmer than normal at 64°, about 3° above average for this time of year. It’s only rated as a marginal forecast, so don’t expect much. Porthtowan is a fairly consistent break that can handle a bit of swell, and the crowd situation is “often”, so you won’t be alone even if the waves are small. For a beginner-friendly spot, this is about the best we’ve got on offer, but it’s a long way from a standout.

From Sunday the 13th right through to Sunday the 20th of September, it’s a real struggle. We get a mix of onshore winds, cross-shore winds, and rain showers, with the swell bouncing around from 2ft to 4ft. The combined energy stays in the low to mid hundreds, meaning weak, unappealing waves. The wind is often fresh or strong, making things lumpy and choppy. There’s nothing here that’s going to make you want to paddle out.

Now, the big event is on Monday the 21st of September. We see a solid pulse of swell, with the morning at 8ft from the WSW and the afternoon jumping to a hefty 13ft from the W, with a period of 10 seconds. The combined energy rockets up to (814) in the morning and a very strong (2872) in the afternoon. That’s a lot of water moving. However, the wind is cross-onshore all day, coming in at 12-16 mph, and the wave comment is “poor surf conditions.” This is going to be a big, choppy, onshore mess. Porthtowan is a beach break, and with that much swell and poor wind, it’s going to be a washing machine. Honestly, this setup looks far more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing. Unless you’re a proper expert and love a challenge, I’d give this one a miss.

So, the one true standout? It’s got to be that Saturday the 12th morning, purely because it’s the only window with clean conditions and some rideable swell. The rest is a write-off until that big, messy pulse at the end.

Keep your eyes on the charts, but don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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