Portreath Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at the waves. This outlook stretches out for sixteen days, but there’s a long, flat, and messy run ahead. The first real sniff of any surf isn’t until October 3rd, and even then it’s a tough call.

We’re talking about Portreath Beach for the whole run. The water is sitting at 64° here, which is a couple degrees warmer than average for the time of year, so the water’s a bit on the balmy side.

The next week plus is mostly a write-off. From August 20th through to the start of September, it’s a constant battle of strong, onshore winds and poor conditions. There’s some decent-sized swell pushing in on the 28th and 29th of August – 11.5 ft of swell from the west – but the wind is howling from the WNW and cross-on, making it a lumpy, ugly mess. The wave energy is massive, hitting 2430 (kilojoules), but it’s not for paddling. That set-up looks far more interesting for a kite surfer than anyone with a regular paddle board. Then it drops right off into small, weak, and choppy slop for days after.

It’s not until Thursday, October 3rd that we see a real change. A clean-looking morning is on the cards, with an ESE wind at just 3 mph, glassing things up properly. We’ll have a 5.9 ft swell from the northwest, with a short period of 6 seconds. The wave energy will be moderate (366). It’s still a short-period swell, meaning it won't have that deep groundswell punch, but it’s the best we’ve seen. The wind will be clean and cross-offshore, so the waves will have some shape. Crowds are likely here, so expect company.

That afternoon on the 3rd sees the swell bump up to 7.5 ft from the NW (period 7 seconds, energy 525) but the wind swings onshore from the NW, fogging up the surface, so the morning is the only clean window. After that, it drops back into the ordinary range. So, if the outlook looks bleak for the next ten days, don't give up – it’s just a slow period for the area. Forecasts can change.

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