Sennen Cove Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s coming our way.

Straight up, the next week and a half is a bit of a tester for Sennen Cove. We’ve got some swell pushing through, but the wind is going to be a real pain for most of it. The first solid run of surf kicks off on Tuesday the 18th with a 5ft to 5ft WNW swell, but it’s short-period stuff at 6 seconds and that cross-onshore wind is making it lumpy and messy. Not worth getting wet for.

Wednesday and Thursday the 19th and 20th see the swell building nicely, hitting 8ft on Thursday morning with a decent 9-second period and moderate wave energy (993). The problem is the wind stays onshore or cross-onshore, keeping the surface all chopped up. It’s a real shame because there’s some power in that water.

We finally get a break from the wind on Friday morning the 21st. A light cross-offshore breeze from the NNE cleans things right up, and we’ve got a 4ft W swell at 8 seconds. It’s a marginal call, but that’s your first real window for a clean wave. The swell drops off fast after that, with Saturday the 22nd offering a tiny 2ft to 2ft swell. Saturday afternoon goes glassy, but there’s hardly any energy (41) to push a wave.

From Sunday the 23rd through Monday the 24th, it’s flat to tiny with a 0.7ft to 1.0ft SSW groundswell. The period is long at 14 seconds, but there’s just no height to work with. A proper flat spell.

The next sniff of action comes around Tuesday the 25th and Wednesday the 26th. A new W swell pushes in at 5ft to 6ft with moderate energy (509 to 514), and the wind is cross-offshore, keeping it clean. But the wind speeds are strong at 25 to 28 mph, so it’s going to be a battle to get out. Not for the faint-hearted.

The standout of the whole outlook? Look to Monday the 31st of August. The morning shows a 6ft WSW swell with a clean cross-offshore breeze, but it’s still a bit marginal. The real event is that Monday afternoon: a big 12ft SW swell hits with a period of 8 seconds and a massive combined energy of 1365. That’s a strong pulse. The wind is moderate and cross-shore, so it’ll be a bit chop, but this is serious size. It’s only for experienced surfers, and the crowds are *sometimes* a problem here, so expect a few locals out. However, Monday afternoon is the best size on offer.

Then into Tuesday the 1st of September, we’ve got a 10ft cross-onshore mess in the morning, but the afternoon cleans right up with a cross-offshore SSE wind and a 8ft W swell at 10 seconds. That’s a solid, clean wave with strong energy (1422). A very promising day, but it’s far out, so keep an eye on the forecasts.

The best bet: If you want the cleanest conditions with decent size, go for Tuesday the 1st of September afternoon. The 8ft W swell, 10-second period, and clean cross-offshore wind will give you the best-shaped, most surfable waves of the whole run. It’s big enough for a proper session but not out of control. The water temp is about average for the time of year, so no surprises there.

If you’re a beginner, stay out of the water from the 20th onwards—anything over 5ft here with onshore wind is a washing machine. For the experts, the 31st of August and 1st of September are your windows.

Rusty.

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