Portreath Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let's have a look at what's on offer for the next couple of weeks here at Portreath Beach. I won't sugar-coat it; the start looks pretty grim. For the first few days, we've got tiny, weak waves and the wind is just a mess. You'll see some clean conditions here and there, but with swell heights barely scraping 2 feet and energy readings as low as 24 to 105, it's not worth paddling out for.

Things stay quiet and messy right through until Tuesday the 25th of August. That afternoon we finally see a bit of a pulse, with a 2-foot swell from the WNW and a proper offshore breeze from the SE, making things clean. The energy ticks up to 114, but it's still very much a "skunk the session" kind of day.

Wednesday the 26th is a write-off with onshore winds and thunderstorms threatening.

Now, the real, and I mean *real*, change comes on Thursday morning the 27th. A big lump of energy rolls in – we're talking 10 feet of swell from the west, and the ocean energy is pumping at 1055. The problem? It's cross-shore winds, and the period is only 8 seconds. That's a short-period, wind-affected mess. And on Thursday afternoon, we get 7 feet with a 25 km/h cross-onshore. That's not for paddling; that's strictly for the kite crew if anything. The 10-foot mark at a beach break like this with those winds is just ugly.

Friday the 28th keeps that trend going – 8 feet of swell but with strong cross-onshore winds and a short period of 7 seconds. The energy is 717, but the quality is zero.

We get a bit of a window on Saturday the 29th. There's 8 feet of swell coming in from the west, and while the wind is still cross-on, it's a moderate 20 km/h. The energy is huge at 1648, but the comment tells us conditions are marginal. For an intermediate surfer, that's a possible, if lumpy, go-out.

The true standout, and I mean the one to circle on your calendar, is Wednesday the 2nd of September. It's still a week away, so the long-range forecast gets a bit hazier, but the early signs are very promising. We've got a big 10-foot to 12-foot groundswell from the WSW (optimum direction for this spot), with a period of 10-11 seconds and a clean, cross-off wind. The ocean energy is immense at 1576, then 2384. That's proper, powerful groundswell energy. But – and this is a big but for a beach break – at 12 feet with a long period, it's going to be heavy, powerful, and likely closing out or breaking very straight. This is strictly for expert surfers only. If you're a beginner, do not even think about it. For the experienced crew, if the sandbanks line up, it could be the session of the month, but it is borderline too big.

Thursday the 3rd holds similar size (12 feet) but the wind swings onshore and it becomes a chop-fest. Friday the 4th is messy again with cross-onshore winds.

So, to sum it up: the first ten days are mostly poor. The best bet for a clean, manageable wave with a bit of energy is the morning of Tuesday the 25th of August, but it's small. The big, powerful, and dangerous highlight is Wednesday the 2nd of September for experts only. For everyone else, the weekend of the 29th and 30th of August offers some big, lumpy, and marginal conditions that might be fun on a bigger board if you're not too picky.

Stay stoked, and keep an eye on that Wednesday the 2nd.

Rusty

Read more