Portreath Harbour Wall Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, it’s a pretty grim outlook for Portreath Harbour Wall. We’re looking at a long run of tiny, weak, or wind-affected conditions. The first half of the period is dominated by small swell, mostly under 3ft, with the combined wave energy staying well under 100 (weak energy) for many days, and barely scraping into the moderate range at just 206 on Friday morning the 21st of August. That session was already written off with a moderate cross-onshore breeze and chop. From Friday the 21st right through to the end of the month, the recommendation is zero every time.

The one standout in the whole 16-day window is actually a big one, but it comes with serious caveats. On Saturday the 29th of August, the swell bumps up to 8ft from the west, with the combined energy hitting 746 (strong wave energy). That’s proper sized. The problem? The wind is cross-onshore from the west at 16 mph, which is going to make it a lumpy, choppy mess at this reef. It’s an expert-only day anyway with that size. The swell period is short, only 8 seconds, so it’s windswell, not a clean groundswell. The direction is west, which is solid, but the onshore wind just kills the quality. This spot is fairly exposed to the swell, but it’s a very average setup for paddle surfing. Honestly, that much west wind and short-period swell at a reef makes it look more interesting for a kite session than a proper surf.

There’s a brief moment on Tuesday the 25th of August morning where it’s clean with offshore winds from the southeast, but the swell is only 1.0ft from the WNW with weak energy at 34. Hardly worth paddling for.

After the 29th, the swell drops quickly but remains messy and cross/onshore through the end of August and into the first week of September. The wave heights stay under 3ft, and the winds are generally poor. We’re looking at a solid gap of at least a week with nothing worth recommending. The 5th of September has a clean, cross-off breeze and a small 3ft swell from the southwest, but the period is a pathetic 5 seconds and combined energy is only 42 (weak). It’s just not doing anything.

All in all, this is one of those blank runs where the area just isn’t firing. The only real size comes with bad wind, and the rest is tiny or choppy. It’s a quiet stretch of surf – put the board away for a bit and watch the forecasts.

Rusty.

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