Portreath Harbour Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, checking in from the Portreath Harbour Wall. Gotta be honest with you, this 16-day look is a grim one. The Harbour Wall is a fairly exposed reef, but it's real picky about the swell direction, needing it from the NW. Water temp is about what you'd expect for this time of year.

We're looking at a long stretch of poor surf, hammered by wind and messy conditions. The first real glimmer of something rideable doesn't show up until the morning of September 2nd, and even then it's just a small window. Let's break it down.

For the rest of August, it's a total washout. Thursday and Friday are a mix of cross-off and cross-on winds with tiny, weak swell. The wave energy is pathetic, only around 20 to 47 (combined energy). Saturday the 29th the swell jumps up to 8ft in the morning and 12ft in the afternoon, with a massive 2009 (combined energy). But the wind is howling at 28 mph, making it a messy, blown-out mess. That's kite-surfing territory, not paddle surfing. Sunday the 30th morning is the closest we get to a decent wave early on, with 6ft of west swell and a 9-second period, and the wind is clean cross-off. The energy is moderate (533), but it's only called marginal because of the tide.

Then we hit a long, dead gap. Through the 31st and into September 1st, it's all onshore and cross-on choppy junk. The swell is there, but the wind kills it.

The first real highlight comes on the morning of Wednesday, September 2nd. The wind goes glassy, dead calm. The swell is small, only 3ft from the WSW, with a short 5-second period. The energy is weak (72). But for a Harbour Wall reef, glassy conditions are a massive win. It'll be clean, even if the waves are tiny. This is the best-on-offer for the whole run, but it's a quiet, small-wave session.

After that, it's back to the grind. A few more marginal windows pop up way down the line. The morning of September 4th shows 5ft of west swell with a light cross-on, but still marginal. The morning of September 7th has 8ft of WNW swell with a light onshore, again marginal. The morning of September 11th is the last possible look, with 8ft of west swell and a 9-second period, cross-shore wind, but it's only scored as marginal. The energy is strong (1033), but that's getting into big, powerful territory for the reef, and the wind is just okay.

So, the story is this: the first week is a total loss. The only decent window is the glassy morning of September 2nd for a clean, tiny wave. The second week holds a few more marginal shots for the die-hards willing to check the tides, but nothing is a sure thing. It's a rough forecast for the Harbour Wall.

Rusty, out.

Read more