Surf Forecasts:
Portwrinkle surf forecast from 18 Aug 2026:
- Most powerful swell: Thursday 20 Aug, 10AM (local time) - 3.5ft (1.1m), 9s period, WSW swell with 184 kJ wave energy.
Best Forecast Surf Conditions for Portwrinkle this week:
The most powerful waves expected at Portwrinkle in the next 16 days are 1.1m 9s and forecast to arrive on Thursday (Aug 20) at 10AM. Winds are predicted to be cross-offshore at the time the swell arrives. The largest open ocean swell (not directed at the beach) is 0.4m 3s period and expected on Thursday (Aug 20) at 7PM.
| Wave Type | Time (BST) & Date | Wave Height & Period |
|---|---|---|
| Next good surf (1 star+) | - | - |
| Best Surf | - | - |
| Most Powerful | 10AM (Thu 20th Aug) | 3.5ft (1.1m) 9s |
Table - best surf conditions forecast for Portwrinkle over the next 16 days.
The Lowdown
Okay, let’s talk about what we’ve got. The next couple of weeks look pretty gutless, to be honest. You’ll have to be patient if you want any waves.
Your first chance to get a wet suit on is Thursday the 20th. It’s not big, but there’s a little pulse coming in from the WSW at about 3 feet with a 9-second period. The water’s around 66°, which is way warmer than usual, so that’s a bonus. The spot is Portwrinkle (Cornwall), a reef that can be a bit inconsistent, so you might be scratching for a few. Morning looks cleaner with a light WNW wind. Just a paddling session, really.
After that, it's flat and messy for the better part of a week. From the 21st right through to the 27th, there are just tiny, weak swells and onshore winds, making it all look pretty sad. If you were planning a surf trip, I’d cancel it.
There is a chance things get interesting on the 28th, but the swell is short-period and the wind is howling onshore, so it’s a washout. Forget it.
Your one real standout window is the morning of Saturday the 29th. The energy jumps up to 1133, which is a serious kick. The swell is a solid 7 feet from the WSW, and the wind is a clean cross-off from the NNW. This is a big-wave spot, so unless you know what you’re doing, just watch from the cliffs. The tide might make it weird, but this is the one to circle in the calendar. It’s a proper, old-school reef wave.
After that, it just gets messy and blown out again. The 30th and 31st are a write-off.
Looking far ahead to the 1st of September, there’s a monster groundswell on the charts with a 12-second period and a huge energy reading of 2158. But it comes with a cross-onshore wind, so expect it to be a bumpy, hard-to-ride mess. It’s a long way out, so take it with a grain of salt.
So, bottom line: get a quick fix on Thursday, and be ready for a proper session on the morning of the 29th. Everything else is just a waiting game.
Rusty
Short Range ForecastLight rain (total 2mm), mostly falling on Tue night. Warm (max 21°C on Tue morning, min 15°C on Wed night). Mainly fresh winds. | Days 4-6 Weather SummaryLight rain (total 3mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Warm (max 20°C on Sun afternoon, min 12°C on Sat night). Wind will be generally light. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Tuesday 18 | Wednesday 19 | Thursday 20 | Friday 21 | Saturday 22 | Sunday 23 | Monday 24 | |||||||||||||||
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) | WSW 5 | WSW 4 | W 4 | WSW 7 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 10 | WSW 10 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | W 8 | W 8 |
Wave Graph  | |||||||||||||||||||||
 kJ | 22 | 19 | 11 | 30 | 21 | 25 | 184 | 146 | 55 | 30 | 27 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
Wind (km/h) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Wind State on-shore cross-onshore cross-shore cross-offshore off-shore glassy | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross-off | cross | off | cross | cross | off | off | cross-off | off | glassy | cross-on | on |
High Tide | 9:49AM4.31m | 10:05PM4.26m | 10:27AM4.04m | 10:46PM3.91m | 11:11AM3.75m | 11:37PM3.58m | 12:09PM3.49m | 00:44AM3.32m | 1:24PM3.33m | 2:05AM3.21m | 2:46PM3.34m | 3:26AM3.29m | 4:00PM3.54m | ||||||||
Low Tide | 4:04PM0.57m | 4:24AM0.73m | 4:41PM0.96m | 5:01AM1.14m | 5:21PM1.35m | 5:43AM1.52m | 6:14PM1.71m | 6:48AM1.83m | 7:53PM1.92m | 8:47AM1.90m | 9:44PM1.78m | 10:09AM1.66m | 10:43PM1.45m | ||||||||
 |  |  | | | |  | |  | |  |  | | | | | | | | | | |
 | 6:09 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:11 | — | — | 6:13 | — | — | 6:15 | — | — | 6:16 | — | — | 6:18 | — | — |
 | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:30 | — | — | 8:28 | — | — | 8:25 | — | — | 8:23 | — | — | 8:21 | — | — | 8:19 | — |
mm | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temp °C | 21 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 20 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 19 | 18 | 15 | 19 | 20 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 16 |
Feels °C | 17 | 17 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 17 | 16 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 12 |
Swell 1 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | SW 17 | SW 17 | WSW 7 | W 9 | SW 16 | SSW 15 | SW 14 | SSW 14 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | WSW 8 | WSW 9 | WSW 10 | ESE 5 | SSW 15 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SSW 14 | SW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 |
| kJ | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 23 | 8 | 20 | 55 | 30 | 27 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
Swell 2 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | SW 17 | SW 16 | — | — | — | — | SSW 14 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 13 | SW 15 | E 3 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 9 | W 8 | W 8 | W 8 |
| kJ | — | — | 11 | 10 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 |
Swell 3 Height (m) Direction Period (s) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | S 16 | S 16 | S 16 | SW 5 | WSW 10 | — | E 4 | E 4 | — | — | — | — |
| kJ | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 9 | — | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — |
Wind waves Height (m) Direction Period (s) | WSW 5 | WSW 4 | W 4 | WSW 7 | WSW 4 | WSW 4 | WSW 9 | WSW 9 | NW 3 | — | — | — | E 3 | — | N 2 | — | — | NNW 3 | NNW 2 | SW 2 | — |
| kJ | 22 | 19 | 10 | 30 | 21 | 25 | 184 | 146 | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | — |
Nearest Offshore or Glassy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Distance (km) | 275 | 191 | 135 | 225 | 191 | 275 | 132 | 183 | 35 | 18 | 75 | 57 | 48 | 80 | 332 | 332 | 101 | 276 | 451 | 525 | 186 |
Best forecast wave conditions in South Cornwall | |||||||||||||||||||||
Best forecast wave conditions in United Kingdom | |||||||||||||||||||||
Header Global | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Information about the Portwrinkle Surf forecast
The above surf forecast table for Portwrinkle provides essential information for determining whether the surfing conditions will be good over the next 16 days. A general guide to surfing at Portwrinkle can be found by selecting the local surf guide option on the grey menu. Our Portwrinkle 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 (Portwrinkle) 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 Portwrinkle 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.
Are you planning a holiday in South Cornwall? If you are looking for accommodation near Portwrinkle, camping, hotels and holiday cottages in South Cornwall, consider staying in Plymouth which is 12 km (7 miles) away. Other places in and around South Cornwall where you can find information about places to rent, and car hire include Fowey which is 21 km (13 miles) away, Par, Bodmin and Saint Austell.
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