Portreath Harbour Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Gutted, folks. Plain and simple. I’ve been staring at the charts for the next couple of weeks and it’s a tough stretch for us here. We’ve got a run of onshore winds and messy, weak swell that’s going to have the Harbour Wall looking pretty average. The water’s sitting at about 65°, which is a touch warmer than we’d usually expect for this time of year, so at least it’ll be comfortable while you’re getting skunked.

Monday afternoon kicks things off with a cross-on breeze and a short-period 3ft west swell. The energy reading is a weak 127, and with that wind, it’s going to be lumpy. Not worth the paddle.

Tuesday brings a bit more size, up to 4ft, but it’s short-period slop from the WNW with a cross-on wind. Honestly, it’s just choppy and uninviting.

We get a little bump midweek on Wednesday morning, with 5ft from the west and a period of 9 seconds. But the cross-on wind is there to spoil it, and the energy has jumped to 363. By the afternoon, the wind picks up to 30 km/h and it’s going to be lumpy and difficult. Not good.

Thursday’s got the most size of the week so far, with 7ft on the Wednesday afternoon, but it’s all wind-affected. A fresh onshore breeze makes it a full-on windswell mess. The energy is 702, but the quality just isn't there. This is more of a kite-surfing session than a paddle, to be honest.

Friday the swell drops right off. We’re left with under 3ft of weak, short-period swell and a cross-shore breeze in the morning. It’s just not doing anything. By the afternoon, rain moves in and it’s back to onshore junk.

Now, here’s the frustrating part. This weekend sees the swell fade to almost nothing. Saturday and Sunday have tiny 1ft waves. There’s a glimpse of clean conditions on Saturday with a light cross-offshore breeze and a glassy moment on Sunday morning, but with that little energy, it’s a lake. The Harbour Wall is a reef, and it’s not breaking. This is a dead period, a good few days of nothing on offer.

The start of the next week is equally as poor. Monday the 24th has a glassy morning, but the swell is a joke at 1ft with an energy of just 14. You’d be better off going for a swim.

We finally see some life mid-week on the 25th. A modest 3ft from the WNW with a longer 10-second period. The wind is cross-offshore, which should keep it reasonably clean, and the energy climbs to 163. It’s surfable, but it’s hardly the saviour we need. It’s just okay.

Then the wind swings back around on Wednesday the 26th, with 5ft of onshore slop and a freshening breeze. Another write-off.

There’s a stronger pulse of swell on the 28th, with 8ft from the WSW and a 9-second period. The wind is actually cross-offshore, making things look clean on paper, and the energy is high at 819. But the forecast notes say it’s marginal, with questionable tide conditions. It’s big enough to be a handful and the quality is still in doubt. This is the one that could have been special, but I’m not convinced.

The 29th has a bigger 8ft, but the wind is onshore again and the quality will be ruined. Not good.

The next couple of days, the 30th and 31st, see fresh to near-gale force winds with messy, cross-shore waves, and some rain. This is pure storm slop. We’re looking at 5 to 8ft of close-outs. Forget it.

Then, finally, the long-range charts show something interesting. On Tuesday the 1st of September, the forecast is for a proper 10ft groundswell from the WNW with a long 12-second period. The combined energy is a massive 2186, which means the ocean is going to be absolutely thumping. The wind is supposed to be cross-offshore, which would clean it up. This is the one standout, but it’s a week and a half away, so treat it with a heap of caution. This is a serious, expert-only session. That size on a reef with a long period is going to be powerful and dangerous. It’s promising, but it’s a way off and things can change. Keep your fingers crossed.

I wish I had better news. We’re in for a grim fortnight with just a couple of small windows of opportunity. The surf will come back, it always does.

Rusty.

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