Portreath Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, it's Rusty. Let's have a proper look at what's coming our way for Portreath Beach over the next couple of weeks.

First off, I gotta be straight with you: it's a rough start. The first week or so is pretty grim. We've got some size in the water, sure, but the wind is just shredding any chance of clean waves. It's mostly cross-shore or howling onshore with a big chop, so the quality is just not there. The ocean is looking messy and not worth paddling out for. This stretch runs from Monday the 14th right through until the evening of Sunday the 20th of September. It’s a full week of "stay on the beach and watch" kind of stuff.

The first real glimmer of hope shows up on Monday the 21st of September. The morning is looking magic with a glassy sea – zero wind. We’re looking at a clean 4ft swell rolling in from the WNW, with a long 13-second period that’ll have some proper push. The combined energy is moderate at 425. It’s not a monster day, but for clean, lined-up waves, it's the best we've seen by a mile. By the afternoon, it drops a touch to 3ft with a 12-second period, still glassy, still clean. This is the standout of the whole forecast, no question. The water is sitting at 64°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so it’s a bonus.

Tuesday morning on the 22nd keeps the good vibe going with a light offshore wind from the SE. The swell holds at 4ft from the west, period around 10 seconds, and combined energy of 380. It’s clean and should be fun through the morning. Be aware that the crowds at Portreath are often there, so get in early.

From Wednesday the 23rd, it gets a bit more ordinary again. The winds shift cross-on and the swell backs off. The energy dips right down, with values like 158 on Wednesday. There’s a bit of a lull through the end of the week.

Thursday the 24th throws a bit of a curveball. The wind swings offshore from the ESE, but the afternoon brings a very long-period swell of 18 seconds at 3ft. That’s proper groundswell, but it’s prone to being a bit tricky at a beach break like Portreath. The conditions will be clean, with a cross-offshore breeze, but the wave energy is moderate (640). It’s worth a look for the experienced crew who know how to handle that kind of swell pulse.

The last few days of the window, from the 27th of September onward, are mostly small and clean but uninspiring. A bit of a glassy morning on the 28th with a tiny 3ft swell, so more of a longboard or a paddle situation. Tuesday the 29th sees the swell kick back up to 5ft from the WNW with a good 12-second period, but it's blowing cross-on, putting a bit of a chop on the face.

Honestly, the session to circle is Monday the 21st of September. Glassy, clean, and the first real surf we'll have seen in over a week.

Rusty.

Read more