
Surf Forecasts:
Portreath Beach surf forecast from 8 Sep 2026:
- Best quality surf: Tuesday 15 Sep, 4AM (local time) - 4.5ft (1.3m), 11s period, W swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 10 Sep, 10PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period, WSW swell with 1,064 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Thursday 10 Sep, 1AM (local time) - 2.5ft (0.7m), 8s period with WNW swell.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Portreath Beach this week:
The surf forecast for Portreath Beach over the next 16 days: The first swell (rated 1 star or higher) is forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 1AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.7m and 8s period with a secondary swell of 0.7m and 8s. The wind is predicted to be cross-offshore as the swell arrives.
The most powerful waves expected at Portreath Beach in the next 16 days are 2.5m 10s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Sep 10) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.1m 16s period and expected on Friday (Sep 11) at 4PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1AM (Thu 10th Sep) | 2.5ft (0.7m) 8s |
| Best Surf | 4AM (Tue 15th Sep) | 4.5ft (1.3m) 11s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Thu 10th Sep) | 8ft (2.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Portreath Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s break it down.
Right off the bat, I’ve gotta be straight with you – the next couple of weeks are looking pretty bleak for a proper session at Portreath Beach. We’ve got a solid run of poor surf conditions that just won’t let up, and there’s no real standout window to get excited about. The first real glimmer of anything surfable doesn’t show up until Thursday the 18th of September, and even then, it’s nothing to write home about.
Let’s talk about what’s on offer. The forecast starts with a bit of a thump on Tuesday the 8th of September, with a 6 ft swell from the WNW, but it’s getting hammered by a 19 mph onshore wind from the NNW. That’s a messy, blown-out combo. The combined swell energy is sitting at 1181 (moderate to strong), but with that wind, it’s just a washing machine. Not worth paddling out.
This pattern sticks around for days. Wednesday the 9th sees a drop to 4 ft, still with onshore winds, and the energy drops to 397. Still poor. Thursday the 10th has a moment of cleaner conditions with cross-offshore winds, but the swell is a weak 3 ft with a terrible 4-second period (windswell) with only 67 energy. That’s not surf, that’s a ripple. The afternoon does bump up to 6 ft, but the wind is howling at 19 mph, and it’s still classed as poor.
Friday the 11th and Saturday the 12th are dominated by cross-onshore winds and choppy, lumpy seas. The swell hangs around 4 ft to 5 ft, but the quality is just not there. You’d be fighting wind and chop the whole time.
Sunday the 13th offers a 6 ft swell from the west, but it’s cross-onshore again. The energy is 559 (moderate), but the wind is ruining the shape. Same story for Monday the 14th, where the swell drops to 3 ft and the energy falls to 132 (weak). It’s a flat, windy mess.
The real kicker is that we have a long gap of nothing but poor surf conditions until the 18th. From Tuesday the 15th through to Wednesday the 23rd, the swell is small, the winds are mostly cross-onshore, and the energy is low. The only slight change comes on the 18th, where we see a tiny 3 ft swell from the WNW with a clean cross-offshore wind. The energy is 122 (weak). It’s surfable, but you’d be on a longboard or a foamie, scraping for little waist-high waves. That’s the best of the whole forecast, and it’s a real stretch to call it a standout.
The 21st, 22nd, and 23rd of September see a bit more size – 3 ft to 4 ft from the west and WNW, with a period picking up to 11-13 seconds. That’s a longer period groundswell, which is nice, and the winds are cross-offshore from the east. But the combined energy is still moderate (268 to 476), and the surf is still rated as poor. The longer period might make it a bit too straight for the beach break here, but with the clean winds, it could be okay for a more experienced surfer on a point or reef, but this is a beach break. Still, it’s not the quality you’d want to plan a trip around.
Water temperature on Tuesday the 8th is 64°F, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year (3°F anomaly). So, you’ll be in a shorty or spring suit, no problem.
Honestly, if you’re a kite surfer, the strong onshore winds and moderate swell on the 8th, 13th, and 16th might look more interesting than paddle surfing. For a paddler, it’s a grim outlook. The forecast confidence is higher for the first week, and it’s all bad. The second week has a faint promise of cleaner conditions, but the swell is small and the energy is weak. It’s a tough run.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 4mm), mostly falling on Tue morning. Very mild (max 18°C on Thu morning, min 14°C on Tue night). Winds decreasing (fresh winds from the NW on Tue morning, light winds from the W by Wed afternoon). | Days 4-6 Weather SummarySome drizzle, heaviest during Sun morning. Warm (max 20°C on Sun night, min 13°C on Fri night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 8 | Wednesday 9 | Thursday 10 | Friday 11 | Saturday 12 | Sunday 13 | Monday 14 | |||||||||||||||
AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | AM | PM | Night | |
Swell Height Map | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wave Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WSW 5 | WSW 7 | WSW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 9 | W 7 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
721 | 677 | 754 | 386 | 180 | 73 | 62 | 449 | 842 | 417 | 258 | 187 | 290 | 286 | 725 | 474 | 354 | 201 | 157 | 169 | 127 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | on | on | on | on | on | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | on | cross-on | glassy | cross | cross | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross | cross-off |
High Tide | 3:55PM5.55m | 4:25AM5.59m | 4:47PM6.06m | 5:12AM6.03m | 5:31PM6.48m | 5:53AM6.36m | 6:11PM6.74m | 6:31AM6.55m | 6:48PM6.80m | 7:07AM6.57m | 7:24PM6.68m | 7:41AM6.44m | 7:59PM6.41m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 10:29PM0.91m | 10:49AM0.82m | 11:18PM0.45m | 11:34AM0.41m | 11:59PM0.11m | 12:14PM0.13m | 00:37AM-0.05m | 12:50PM0.01m | 1:11AM-0.04m | 1:25PM0.06m | 1:44AM0.13m | 1:58PM0.25m | 2:16AM0.43m | ||||||||
6:45 | — | — | 6:46 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:48 | — | — | 6:50 | — | — | 6:52 | — | — | 6:54 | — | — | |
— | 7:51 | — | — | 7:49 | — | — | 7:46 | — | — | 7:45 | — | — | 7:42 | — | — | 7:39 | — | — | 7:37 | — | |
mm | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 19 |
Feels °C | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | — | — | W 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 8 | WSW 8 | W 11 | WSW 10 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | WNW 14 | NW 13 | S 14 | W 10 | W 10 | W 9 | SW 12 | W 8 | W 8 |
5 | — | — | 386 | 180 | 73 | 19 | 9 | 842 | 417 | 258 | 187 | 40 | 41 | 4 | 474 | 354 | 201 | 6 | 169 | 127 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 11 | — | — | SW 8 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | WNW 8 | — | — | — | S 16 | N 4 | N 4 | SW 15 | — | SW 13 | SW 13 | S 13 | SW 12 | SW 12 | WNW 11 |
5 | — | — | 69 | 71 | 50 | 13 | — | — | — | 5 | 6 | 2 | 8 | — | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 73 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | N 6 | N 6 | N 5 | — | — | — | — | W 17 | SW 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | SW 12 |
— | — | — | — | 31 | 18 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | WNW 9 | N 6 | — | — | WSW 5 | WSW 7 | — | — | N 4 | — | W 9 | W 7 | W 10 | — | — | — | W 9 | — | — |
721 | 677 | 754 | 41 | — | — | 62 | 449 | — | — | 15 | — | 290 | 286 | 725 | — | — | — | 157 | — | — | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 165 | 217 | 217 | 19 | 13 | 0 | 211 | 193 | 61 | 19 | 19 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 217 | 12 | 23 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 0 |
Best forecast wave conditions in North Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Portreath Beach Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Portreath Beach provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Portreath Beach can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Portreath Beach surf forecast is unique since it includes wave energy (power) that defines the real feel of the surf rather than just the height or the period. If you surf the same spot (Portreath Beach) regularly then make a mental note of the wave energy from the surf forecast table each time you go. Very soon you may start to choose your surf days based on the wave energy alone combined with our forecast of favourable offshore wind conditions. Our star ratings will help here and of course you will also find the usual wave height and period predictions on our surf forecasts as well as a full break down of the swell components under our advanced users option (to reveal that, click the little Einstein character under the tide times).
Further information to help with frequently asked questions about our surf forecast for Portreath Beach may be found under the help tab on the top menu and also by moving your mouse over the question marks on the surf forecast table itself. Please always bear in mind that the forecast is for near-shore open water and local factors at each surf break influence the actual breaking wave height, such as the beach / reef profile, water depths offshore and shelter.
Portreath Beach is 5 km (3 miles) from Camborne. If you plan a holiday in North Cornwall, look for hotels and other accommodation in Camborne. Camborne has rooms for a wide range of budgets as well as car hire and transport links.










