Portreath Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G’day, I’m Rusty. Alright, let’s be straight with you—this outlook for Portreath Beach is a bit of a tough one. The next 16 days start real quiet, and for the first week and a half, there’s nothing worth paddling out for. The surf is either too small, wind-chopped, or just plain messy. The water’s sitting at 65°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so you won’t be shivering, but you’ll be waiting.

From Monday 17 August through to the morning of Wednesday 26 August, it’s a long stretch of poor surf conditions. Swell heights barely reach 4 ft, with short periods around 6–8 seconds, and the wind is mostly onshore or cross-onshore from the WNW, NW, or N, blowing at 12–19 mph. The combined wave energy stays weak to moderate (115–169), and the wave comment is consistently “poor surf conditions.” Even Thursday 20 August shows a bit more size (7 ft, 9-second period, 613 energy), but the wind is still onshore, so it’s lumpy. There’s a gap of about nine days with no real recommendations.

The first glimmer of hope shows up on Wednesday 26 August morning. We get a 7 ft swell from the WSW with a short 8-second period, light cross-shore wind at 6 mph, and combined energy of 983—moderate. The wave comment says “marginal surf forecast or questionable tide conditions,” so it’s only a maybe. Not a standout.

But then, hold onto your board—Friday 28 August morning is the real standout. That morning, the swell jumps to 10 ft from the WSW with a 10-second period, combined energy of 1561 (strong to very strong), and the wind goes glassy from the west at just 3 mph. The wave comment says “excellent surf conditions for experienced surfers.” That’s the one to circle. This is a long-period groundswell, so it’s got good shape and energy, but at 10 ft, it’s big—only for experienced surfers. The glassy wind means clean, perfect waves. It’s a short window, but it’s the best on offer.

Saturday 29 August sees the swell drop to 7–7 ft from the W with 11-second period, but the wind swings onshore again from the NW at 19 mph, so it’s messy. Sunday 30 August afternoon gets a second chance: 8 ft from the W, 9-second period, combined energy 1006, and glassy calm wind. The wave comment says “expect very good surf conditions.” That’s another solid option, again for experienced surfers due to the size. After that, Monday 31 August brings strong cross-onshore winds and a risk of thunderstorms, so it’s a no-go.

Portreath Beach is a fairly exposed beach break, best with a NW swell direction. The standout sessions on Friday 28 August morning and Sunday 30 August afternoon line up with that optimum direction. Crowds are often an issue here, so expect company if you go for the good stuff. The forecast in the second week is less certain, but that Friday 28th morning looks like a ripper if you’re skilled enough to handle it.

Rusty.

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