Porthtowan Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a proper look at what’s coming up for Porthtowan. I’ll be straight with you – it’s a rough start. The whole first week is a write-off with messy, lumpy, and blown-out conditions. There’s a decent amount of swell energy early on, but the wind is just relentless, smashing everything up. We’ve got a long, frustrating gap of about eight days before we even see a sniff of a clean wave, so patience is the name of the game.

The first real chance of anything rideable shows up on Saturday, 5th September. The morning’s still a bit average, but the Saturday afternoon session finally sees a glimmer of hope. The wind swings light at 9 mph from the southwest, giving us a clean, cross-off breeze. The swell is small at 3 ft from the west with a decent 10-second period, but the combined energy is weak (201). It’s nothing to get excited about – just surfable waves in very ordinary conditions. The water is a touch warmer than normal at 65°F, which is about average for this time of year.

Sunday, 6th September (morning) is a similar story. Clean conditions again with a gentle 9 mph southerly breeze, but it’s still small at 3 ft from the west, with weak energy (143). It’s a classic small-wave, clean-skin day for the longboard or a foiled. The afternoon gets a bit of a bump in size to 4 ft from the west, but the wind swings onshore from the west, bringing in small ripples.

Monday, 7th September (morning) is the one to set your alarm for. The wind is almost non-existent (3 mph from the NNE), so the surface will be glassy. The swell comes in at 6 ft from the west with a 10-second period, giving moderate energy (633). It’s the best-looking swell of the whole outlook, but the wind is technically cross-on, so it’s not perfect. The conditions are marginal, but with that light air, it’ll be clean enough for a proper session. This is your standout window.

After that, it’s a slow fade again. Wednesday, 9th September (morning) offers clean offshore conditions with a 16 mph ESE wind blowing straight out, but the swell drops to 4 ft (WNW) with a short 6-second period and weak energy (143). It’s surfable, but not memorable.

The second week is a total bust. The swell drops to barely a ripple, with most days showing 2 ft and weak energy. By Sunday, 13th September, we get a long-period west swell at 15 seconds, but it’s only 2 ft and battered by 16-19 mph onshore winds, making it a total grovel. That’s a no-go for paddle surfing – it’s more of a kite day if you’re into that.

So, to wrap it up: the first eight days are mostly a mess. The real standout is Monday, 7th September (morning) at Porthtowan – it’s the cleanest, biggest swell of the whole run. The conditions are tricky, but it’s the best on offer. Sunday, 6th September (morning) is your backup for a clean, small-wave session. After that, don’t hold your breath.

Rusty.

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