Portreath Beach Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right, let’s talk about what’s going on for the next few weeks. The honest truth here is, if you’re looking for a good session, you’re going to be waiting a while. The forecast is a bit of a heartbreaker for the most part.

We start on Friday, the 4th of September. There’s some size in the water with a 7 ft west swell, but the wind is howling out of the WNW at 16 mph, straight onshore. It’s a messy, lumpy, cross-onshore chop, and the combined swell energy is a moderate 660. The water is sitting at 64°, which is a touch warmer than normal for this time of year, so at least you won’t freeze while you’re getting battered. It’s a write-off.

Saturday, the 5th, drops a little to 5 ft, but the wind is still cross-onshore and the morning is a marginal call. The light breeze helps, but it’s nothing to get excited about. The swell energy drops to 730 in the morning, then falls off to 415 in the afternoon. Still not clean enough to really enjoy.

Sunday, the 6th, the swell drops right out to 2 ft. The wind does go offshore in the morning, which is nice, but there’s only 81 units of energy – basically a flat spell. Not worth paddling out for.

Monday, the 7th, is actually the biggest day of the whole period with a 8 ft west swell, giving a strong 1942 combined energy. But the wind is a dirty cross-onshore at 12-16 mph, and the wave state is choppy and messy. It’s a tragic waste of a solid groundswell. That kind of size with that wind is just a washing machine.

Tuesday, the 8th, stays around 6 ft, energy is still decent at 983, but the wind is still cross-onshore and begins to get fresh and lumpy. It’s a kite surfer’s dream, not a paddler’s.

From the 24th through to the 19th of September, it’s a long, drawn-out stretch of poor conditions. The wind keeps swinging around, mostly onshore or cross-onshore, and the swell drops to under 3 ft for most of the second week. There’s a brief moment on the 13th with some 3 ft swell and a clean cross-offshore or offshore wind, but the energy is low (132 and 91) and it’s just “surfable but very ordinary” – that’s the hope for a long-range session.

The only real standout, if you’re desperate and patient, is the very end of the forecast. On Friday, the 18th of September, the morning is glassy with zero wind from the ESE, and a 2 ft west swell. It’s tiny, but there’s a solid 9-second period and the water is flat. The combined energy is only 70, so it’s weak, but it’s the cleanest you’ll see. Portreath Beach (Cornwall) isn’t a spot that handles big swell well, so on a day like this with glassy conditions and a small, clean offering, it’s the best of a bad bunch. The crowds are often there, but on a tiny day like this, it might be a tame, friendly little paddle.

The first week is a write-off, and the second week is mostly a low-energy, onshore mess. The glassy, clean morning on the 18th is the only true highlight in a 16-day window that’s otherwise a battle. Forecasts can always change, though – don’t bin the boards just yet.

Rusty

Read more