Portreath Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s in store for the next couple of weeks at Portreath Beach.

Right off the bat, I’ve gotta be straight with you — this is a rough stretch for surf. For the first several days, from this Saturday right through to the end of the following Thursday, there’s just not much on offer. The swell is hanging around 2 ft to 4 ft, mostly from the west, but the wind is constantly onshore or cross-shore, just ruining any chance of clean waves. The water temp is sitting about average for this time of year, so no surprises there, but when the surf is this weak (combined swell energy values ranging from 75 to 314), it’s hard to get excited.

By Thursday the 9th, we finally see a slight improvement. The wind swings more cross-offshore from the east, and the waves clean up a bit. Still, the swell is tiny — only 2 ft from the west-northwest with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy is only 93, so it’s weak. You might get a few grovelly waves, but honestly, it’s just surfable, not good.

Then, Friday the 10th looks promising at first glance, with some clean conditions and a cross-off breeze, but the wind is howling at 25 mph. That’s strong enough to make paddling a battle. The swell is only 3 ft and the energy is moderate at 118, but that wind will chop it up. Not worth it.

Now, here’s the one true standout in the whole outlook. On Saturday the 11th, the morning session shows some real potential. The swell jumps to 5 ft from the north — that’s a solid size for intermediate surfers at Portreath Beach. The period is short at 7 seconds, so it’s windswell, but the wind is coming from the south-southwest at 12 mph, giving us a clean cross-off breeze. Combined energy is 305, which is moderate. This is the best wave quality we see in the whole 16 days, but even that is only a marginal forecast. The afternoon turns messy again. Still, Saturday morning is your best bet.

From Sunday the 12th onward, it’s a slow decline. The swell drops back under 3 ft, winds turn onshore again, and the energy fades. By the following weekend, you’re looking at flat to tiny waves, often with strong onshore winds. There’s a hint of a longer-period groundswell (12 seconds) on Monday the 13th, but the swell is tiny and the wind is howling from the north-northwest, making it a washout.

For kite surfers, there are a handful of afternoons with solid wind and choppy conditions that might be fun, but for paddle surfing? This stretch is mostly a write-off. The consistent poor conditions — and the fact that Portreath Beach is fairly exposed — mean we’re just waiting for the next proper swell to line up.

Rusty.

Read more