Portreath Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let's have a look at what's on the cards for Portreath Beach. I won't sugarcoat it – this isn't a pretty outlook. We've got a long, dry spell of poor conditions stretching across most of the next two weeks. The first real glimmer of anything rideable doesn't show up until much later.

Alright, so here's the deal. From now, right through the end of August and the first few days of September, it's just messy. There's swell, sure, but the wind is a constant problem. For the morning of the 28th of August, yeah there's a 4ft swell from the WSW, but it's a short-period 6 seconds and a cross-on wind is making it choppy. The same goes for the afternoon, with a bigger 5ft swell but even stronger cross-shore wind. It's all just blown out. The wave energy is moderate at best, with readings like 119 and 189, nowhere near enough to overcome the wind and make something decent.

We get a bit of a breather on the morning of the 29th of August – a clean-looking window with a cross-offshore breeze, but the swell has dropped to a pathetic 1ft. Not worth getting wet for.

Then the 30th of August morning has a cleaner look with a 6ft WSW swell at 9 seconds and a cross-off wind, and wave energy is moderate (524). That's probably the best of an average bunch, but with that size and the wind angle, it's not a standout.

Late on the 31st of August, there's a big surge of energy – a 10ft swell from the West (10 seconds) hitting 1495 in the morning, but it’s onshore and ugly. That's expert territory for size and blown out. The 4th of September brings a long-period 12-second groundswell from the West at 7ft, with wave energy rocketing to 1302, but again, a cross-onshore wind spoils it. It's a tease.

Honestly, if you're looking for a clean, rideable wave, you're waiting until the 5th of September. That Saturday morning is the only thing worth your time. We get a 4ft groundswell from the West with a nice 11-second period and a cross-shore breeze from the Northeast. The combined energy is 375, so there's some punch there. It's a marginal call, but with light winds, it might just clean up. That's your only real shot in this whole 16-day window.

For a place like Portreath, which is fairly exposed to the Northwest swell, this kind of blank run is a bit unusual. The water temperature is 64° – a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, but you won't be feeling that when you're sat on your board staring at a flat, choppy line-up. The rest of the forecast is just more of the same: onshore winds, lumpy seas, or tiny, weak swells. It's a poor outlook.

Rusty.

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