Surf Forecasts:
Portreath Beach surf forecast from 23 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Friday 28 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 7.5ft (2.3m), 9s period, SW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 27 Aug, 10PM (local time) - 8ft (2.5m), 10s period, SW swell with 1,316 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Sunday 23 Aug, 1PM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.4m), 14s period with SW 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 Sunday (Aug 23) at 1PM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.4m and 14s period with a secondary swell of 0.5m and 5s. 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 (Aug 27) at 10PM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.7m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 1PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 1PM (Sun 23rd Aug) | 1.5ft (0.4m) 14s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Fri 28th Aug) | 7.5ft (2.3m) 9s |
| Most Powerful | 10PM (Thu 27th Aug) | 8ft (2.5m) 10s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Portreath Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright, let’s get into it. I’m Rusty, and I’ve been staring at the charts for this stretch. Honestly, it’s a tough one to call. The whole 16-day window looks pretty grim for getting a proper surf in. There's a whole lot of "poor surf conditions" tagged on every single time slot. We’re looking at a long, dry spell with no real standout days on offer.
Right from the start, Saturday the 22nd of August, we’ve got tiny, weak swell at Portreath Beach. It’s a cross-shore wind with a messy chop, and the wave energy is barely registering (61). The water temp is sitting at 64°, which is about 2° warmer than normal for this time of year – a nice touch, but you won’t be feeling it on a wave that’s only 1 ft. Sunday the 23rd is a bit cleaner with a light breeze, but the swell is still pathetic, bouncing between 1 ft and 2 ft. The energy is low (30-64), and it’s just not enough to push you around.
We get a bit of a change on Tuesday the 25th afternoon. The wind swings offshore from the ESE at 16 mph, and the swell picks up a little to 2 ft from the WNW. The energy climbs to 110 (moderate), and it’s clean. But it’s still a tiny wave, and the conditions are called "poor surf." It’s frustrating.
The real kicker comes on Thursday the 27th of August. In the afternoon, a big pulse of swell hits – 5 ft from the WSW with a period of 11 seconds. The energy jumps to a massive 651 (strong). But the wind is a cross-off, and the report still says "poor surf conditions." That’s a gut punch. That swell is there, but it’s not translating into quality. Then Friday the 28th morning, it’s even bigger at 6 ft, but the wind is cross-shore and messy. The energy is 421 (moderate). It’s a write-off.
Saturday the 29th of August is the biggest day of the whole run. Swell hits 8 ft from the W with an 8-second period. The energy is 805 (strong). But the wind is a fresh cross-onshore, making it lumpy and ugly. At that size, it’s only for experts anyway, and with the wind tearing it up, it’s a complete mess. The following days are more of the same: wind-affected, cross-onshore slop with energy bouncing around. The 1st of September sees a drop back to 4 ft, but it’s still cross-on and choppy.
We get a slight reprieve on Thursday the 3rd of September morning, but it’s only 2 ft with a cross-shore breeze. The 4th of September afternoon has a spike to 5 ft, but the wind is fresh cross-onshore and lumpy again. The final days of the run are just a sad story of strong winds and messy surf.
Here’s the bottom line: there are no good surf options in this 16-day window. The swell shows up, but the wind is always wrong, or the period is too short, or it’s just a chaotic mess. For a spot that’s "fairly consistent," this is a real dead patch. It tends not to stay this poor for long, but right now, the forecast is a blank. If you’re a kite surfer, you might have a field day with the strong winds and the unruly swell, but for a paddle surfer, this is a stay-at-home kind of period.
Rusty.
Short Range ForecastMostly dry. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Sat night). Winds increasing (light winds from the NE on Sat night, fresh winds from the E by Sun night). | Days 5-7 Weather SummaryHeavy rain (total 50mm), heaviest during Wed night. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Wed night). Winds increasing (light winds from the SE on Wed afternoon, fresh winds from the WNW by Fri morning). | |||||||||||||||||||
Sat 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | ||||||||||||||
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) | W 9 | N 5 | N 5 | WSW 12 | SW 14 | SW 9 | SW 13 | WNW 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | WNW 11 | WSW 11 | SW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph | ||||||||||||||||||||
25 | 21 | 16 | 54 | 38 | 13 | 28 | 12 | 59 | 75 | 57 | 34 | 33 | 18 | 12 | 594 | 1224 | 413 | 250 | 454 | |
Wind (km/h) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-on | cross-on |
High Tide | 2:06AM4.17m | 2:47PM4.35m | 3:25AM4.40m | 3:52PM4.70m | 4:18AM4.77m | 4:39PM5.13m | 4:59AM5.18m | 5:16PM5.57m | 5:34AM5.56m | 5:50PM5.96m | 6:07AM5.90m | 6:22PM6.27m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 7:50PM2.36m | 8:32AM2.35m | 9:20PM2.18m | 9:47AM2.05m | 10:19PM1.81m | 10:37AM1.64m | 11:02PM1.39m | 11:16AM1.23m | 11:39PM0.98m | 11:50AM0.85m | 00:12AM0.64m | 12:23PM0.55m | 00:44AM0.38m | |||||||
— | — | 6:20 | — | — | 6:22 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | |
8:27 | — | — | 8:24 | — | — | 8:22 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | |
mm | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 40 | 2 | 5 | — | 2 | — | — |
Temp °C | 18 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 17 |
Feels °C | 15 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | N 5 | W 9 | N 5 | N 5 | WSW 10 | N 4 | SE 7 | SE 7 | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | SSW 6 | WNW 7 | WSW 11 | SW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 8 | SSW 8 |
24 | 14 | 16 | 10 | 38 | 3 | 44 | 16 | 59 | 75 | 57 | 34 | 33 | 55 | 10 | 594 | 1040 | 413 | 250 | 79 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 6 | SW 15 | SW 14 | WSW 12 | SE 6 | SSW 14 | SW 13 | WNW 11 | N 5 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SSW 8 | SW 7 | W 8 | WNW 11 | W 11 | WNW 10 | WNW 9 | S 7 | SE 5 |
12 | 54 | 51 | 54 | 11 | 19 | 28 | 12 | 11 | 35 | 32 | 22 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 57 | 32 | 8 | 159 | 1 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | W 9 | WNW 6 | W 9 | SW 14 | SW 14 | SW 9 | W 9 | SSW 13 | SE 7 | SE 6 | NNE 4 | N 5 | N 5 | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | S 10 | — |
25 | 3 | 14 | 49 | 32 | 13 | 6 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 6 | — | — | — | — | 31 | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | E 4 | N 5 | E 4 | ESE 5 | NNE 4 | ESE 7 | ENE 3 | NNE 4 | E 7 | E 6 | SSE 4 | S 4 | SSW 6 | E 3 | SSW 8 | SSW 9 | SW 9 | S 7 | — | W 8 |
13 | 21 | 8 | 27 | 5 | 68 | 4 | 3 | 269 | 141 | 1 | 22 | 52 | 1 | 307 | 453 | 1224 | 142 | — | 454 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | ||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 32 | 19 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 383 | 210 | 192 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 155 | 4 | 182 | 61 | 8 | 13 | 286 | 553 |
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.











