Portreath Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s get straight into it for the next couple of weeks.

To be honest, this is a pretty grim run for Portreath Beach. The data shows a whole lot of "poor surf conditions" with not a single standout session in the entire 16-day window. The best we can hope for is a very brief window of average, clean waves, but it's nothing to get excited about.

We kick off on Saturday, July 25th, with nothing. The swell is small, around 3 ft from the WNW, but it's a short-period 4-second wind swell with a stiff 12 mph NW wind right on it. The wave energy is weak at just 42, and it’s a mess. The wind gets stronger through the afternoon, and it stays poor.

Sunday, July 26th, sees a bump in swell height to 7 ft from the WNW, and the combined energy jumps to 474 – that’s moderate wave energy. But don’t be fooled, the wind is a fresh 22 mph NW onshore. It’s going to be a lumpy, blown-out mess. That size is also too much for beginners, and with the wind, it’s really only for the keenest, most experienced locals.

Monday, July 27th, the swell drops back to under 3 ft, and while the wind eases to a gentle breeze from the NW, the period is still short and the conditions are still rated as poor.

Finally, on Tuesday, July 28th, we get a tiny glimmer. The wind swings to a light 6 mph SE offshore in the morning, and then a cross-offshore in the afternoon. The waves are a meagre 3 ft from the WNW with a 9-second period, and the combined energy is only 111. The data calls it "surfable waves but very ordinary conditions" and "clean". It’s the only real chance for a paddle, but it’s small, weak, and the water is a touch warmer than normal at 65°.

After that, it’s a long, bleak stretch. Wednesday, July 29th, is glassy in the morning, but the swell is a pathetic 2 ft with a weak 8-second period and energy of just 52. It’s too small to do anything. From Thursday, July 30th, all the way through to Sunday, August 9th, it’s a constant pattern of cross-onshore winds and tiny, weak swell. The conditions are consistently described as choppy or lumpy, with combined energy mostly below 100. The forecast even shows a brief period of light rain on August 4th and 5th, but the wind is still cross or cross-on, messing up any potential.

Honestly, for a spot that’s fairly exposed and fairly consistent, this is a poor stretch. The setup is so wind-affected and small that it looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing for most of this period. The only real window is Tuesday, July 28th, and even that’s just a small, clean session. If you’re desperate for a paddle, that’s your only real chance, but don’t expect much.

Rusty.

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