Surf Forecasts:
Portreath Beach surf forecast from 25 Aug 2026:
- Best quality surf: Saturday 29 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 6ft (1.8m), 6s period, WSW swell with cross-offshore winds.
- Most powerful swell: Monday 31 Aug, 4AM (local time) - 10ft (3.0m), 9s period, W swell with 1,533 kJ wave energy.
- Next surfable swell (1★+): Tuesday 25 Aug, 7AM (local time) - 1.5ft (0.5m), 10s 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 Tuesday (Aug 25) at 7AM. The primary swell is predicted to be 0.5m and 10s period with a secondary swell of 0.4m and 4s. 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 3.0m 9s and forecast to arrive on Monday (Aug 31) at 4AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-onshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 1.3m 8s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 27) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | 7AM (Tue 25th Aug) | 1.5ft (0.5m) 10s |
| Best Surf | 7AM (Sat 29th Aug) | 6ft (1.8m) 6s |
| Most Powerful | 4AM (Mon 31st Aug) | 10ft (3.0m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Portreath Beach over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Alright folks, Rusty here. Let's take a good, hard look at what Mother Nature's got cookin' for our little slice of the coast.
Right now, it's pretty grim. We're staring down the barrel of a long, dry spell with nothing but poor conditions for the foreseeable future. The surf is flat, choppy, or just plain blown out for the best part of two weeks. You won't want to bother paddling out for at least a week and a half.
We start off with small dribbles on Tuesday the 25th. A 2 ft swell from the WNW, but with a stiff 12 mph cross-off breeze, the combined wave energy is weak to moderate (57 to 116). It's a write-off. Wednesday the 26th is more of the same with a tiny 2 ft W swell. The wind does swing offshore in the afternoon, but the energy is next to nothing (34). Thursday the 27th is flat, and Friday the 28th sees a small bump in swell to 4 ft, but it's a short-period (7 seconds) SW swell with cross-on wind. The energy is moderate (163 to 222), but it'll be a messy, bumpy mess.
Then it gets a bit bigger, but not better. Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th see the swell jump up, with a 7 ft to 8 ft WSW swell on Saturday. The wave energy gets strong (444 to 1059), but the wind is pumping at 19-22 mph from the west, making it a lumpy, blown-out disaster. The next week is just a continuation of this pattern. From Monday the 31st of August right through Saturday the 6th of September, we're looking at a parade of solid swell (6 ft to 10 ft) but with heavy, onshore to cross-shore winds. The combined energy is frequently very strong (over 1000, sometimes hitting 1450), but it's all for the kitesurfers. The conditions are consistently labelled as "poor" or "messy." Beginners should stay well away from these sizes, especially when it's over 8 ft.
Now, the one and only saving grace. It's a long way out, so temper your expectations, but Sunday the 6th of September morning finally shows a glimmer of hope. The swell drops to a clean 4 ft from the WNW (10-second period) with a gentle offshore wind from the south. The wave energy is a moderate 423, and it's the first time we see the "score" starting to look positive. This is our only real window, but it's worth noting.
But hold on, the real standout comes 8 days from now, on Tuesday the 8th of September afternoon. Portreath Beach finally lights up. We get a solid 7 ft swell from the WSW with a very long 14-second period, which is proper groundswell. The combined energy is strong at 2101. The wind goes light from the NE at just 3 mph, creating clean, cross-off conditions. For experienced surfers, this is the session to circle on your calendar. That long period will bring great shape and power, but at a beach break like this, it might make it a bit straight, so keep an eye on the sandbanks. Then Wednesday the 9th of September morning looks even better for the really skilled crew. The swell is a thumping 10 ft from the W (9 seconds) with the wind going *glassy* from the SSW. The energy is huge at 2458. This is serious, expert-only territory, but if you’ve got the skills and the board, it's going to be an absolute classic.
So, the call is simple: for the next week and a half, don't even bother. The best two days on offer, by a country mile, are Tuesday the 8th of September afternoon and Wednesday the 9th of September morning at Portreath Beach.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastModerate rain (total 12mm), heaviest on Wed night. Warm (max 22°C on Wed morning, min 16°C on Mon night). Wind will be generally light. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryModerate rain (total 10mm), heaviest on Fri night. Warm (max 20°C on Fri morning, min 15°C on Thu night). Winds increasing (light winds from the S on Thu night, fresh winds from the WSW by Sun afternoon). | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 25 | Wednesday 26 | Thursday 27 | Friday 28 | Saturday 29 | Sunday 30 | Monday 31 | |||||||||||||||
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 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | WNW 9 | SW 7 | WSW 7 | W 7 | WSW 7 | W 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 7 | WSW 8 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 |
Wave Graph | |||||||||||||||||||||
57 | 75 | 59 | 49 | 31 | 28 | 20 | 44 | 28 | 131 | 217 | 258 | 444 | 1059 | 395 | 319 | 674 | 1367 | 1403 | 1370 | 913 | |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | off | cross-off | off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-on | cross-on | cross | cross-off | cross-on | cross-on | on | cross-on | cross |
High Tide | 4:18AM4.77m | 4:39PM5.13m | 4:59AM5.18m | 5:16PM5.57m | 5:34AM5.56m | 5:50PM5.96m | 6:07AM5.90m | 6:22PM6.27m | 6:39AM6.16m | 6:54PM6.48m | 7:11AM6.32m | 7:27PM6.57m | 7:44AM6.37m | 8:01PM6.51m | |||||||
Low Tide | 10:37AM1.64m | 11:02PM1.39m | 11:16AM1.23m | 11:39PM0.98m | 11:50AM0.85m | 00:12AM0.64m | 12:23PM0.55m | 00:44AM0.38m | 12:55PM0.34m | 1:15AM0.22m | 1:27PM0.24m | 1:47AM0.20m | 1:59PM0.27m | 2:20AM0.30m | |||||||
6:24 | — | — | 6:24 | — | — | 6:26 | — | — | 6:28 | — | — | 6:30 | — | — | 6:31 | — | — | 6:33 | — | — | |
— | 8:21 | — | — | 8:19 | — | — | 8:16 | — | — | 8:15 | — | — | 8:13 | — | — | 8:10 | — | — | 8:07 | — | |
mm | — | 1 | — | — | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 2 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 1 | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 20 | 21 | 17 | 22 | 22 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 17 |
Feels °C | 17 | 19 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 15 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WNW 10 | WNW 10 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 | W 9 | SSW 7 | WNW 9 | SW 11 | S 11 | S 11 | — | WSW 8 | — | W 12 | — | — | — | S 18 |
57 | 75 | 59 | 49 | 31 | 28 | 20 | 44 | 173 | 27 | 5 | 2 | 2 | — | 395 | — | 3 | — | — | — | 6 | |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 9 | SW 8 | SW 8 | SW 7 | N 4 | SSW 7 | WNW 10 | SW 12 | WNW 9 | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | W 13 | — | — | — | — | S 18 |
19 | 35 | 32 | 14 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 28 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | 6 | |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SSW 13 | NE 5 | NNE 4 | NNW 5 | SSW 7 | S 4 | SW 12 | S 12 | SW 12 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
17 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | ENE 5 | SE 6 | SSE 6 | S 3 | S 4 | E 2 | S 6 | SSW 8 | — | SW 7 | WSW 7 | W 7 | WSW 7 | W 9 | — | WSW 7 | WSW 8 | W 9 | W 10 | W 10 | W 10 |
24 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 61 | 179 | — | 131 | 217 | 258 | 444 | 1059 | — | 319 | 674 | 1367 | 1403 | 1370 | 913 | |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 28 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 335 | 193 | 249 | 12 | 4 | 12 | 211 | 13 | 23 | 193 | 13 | 390 | 585 | 217 | 226 | 211 | 13 |
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.











