Tolcarne Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Right then, let’s have a look at what’s on offer for the next couple of weeks here at Tolcarne (Cornwall). I’ve got to be straight with you – the first few days are a bit of a write-off. There’s a lot of windy, lumpy conditions on the cards before we get to anything worth the time.

We’ll see a bit of a swell build from the west through the start of September, but it’s going to be messy. The morning of Tuesday the 1st has some clean, surfable waves but it’s all a bit ordinary – swell’s a small 4 ft from the west with a moderate cross-off wind. That’s about as good as it gets for the first few days, and the water temp is sitting around average for this time of year.

Honestly, from that point, conditions turn pretty rough. Wednesday and Thursday (2nd and 3rd) are plagued by strong winds and the swell quality suffers. You’ll see some increase in size, but it’s just not coming together. The energy is moderate (combined energy reading of 196 on Tuesday morning), and it just goes downhill from there. There’s a run of poor surf from Tuesday afternoon right through to Friday the 4th, with nothing really putting a smile on your face.

Now, hold on for a gem. On Saturday the 5th, the morning is looking very promising indeed. There’s a nice little glassy start to the day with the swell holding at 4 ft from the west, a ten-second period, and a light easterly breeze keeping it clean. The wind is absolutely glassed out, which on this beach setup will be a treat. The combined wave energy is moderate (228) and it’ll be a good one for the beginners. It’s a fairly exposed spot, so it’ll pick up that west swell nicely. This is the standout of the first week, no doubt.

The following week starts to show some bigger, more powerful groundswell moving in. Monday the 7th of September sees a long period swell (12 seconds) from the west, pushing 4 ft in the morning and building to 6 ft by the afternoon. The combined energy jumps up to 476, which is a solid step up in power. The catch? It’s going to be a cross-onshore wind both sessions, so it’ll have a bit of bump on it, but the size and period make it a worthwhile paddle for the experienced.

Then we hit a bit of a sticky patch. Tuesday the 8th through to the end of the week looks mostly messy with strong cross-off and cross-on winds making things choppy. There is a bit of size – you’ll see the swell hit 8 ft on the afternoon of the 8th, but with a moderate cross-shore wind and a short 6-second period, it’s going to be a close-out mess, not the good kind of wave.

Looking properly long range now, towards Monday the 14th and Tuesday the 15th, there’s another pulse of long-period groundswell due from the west, with periods of 12 seconds. The Monday afternoon (14th) is the real standout here – 4 ft from the west, glassy offshore breeze, and clean conditions with a moderate combined energy of 400. That is, on paper, the best of this whole 16-day run. It's an expert-only kind of day if you know how to read the longer-period swell at a beach, but the quality should be worth the wait. The morning of the 15th is also decent, with a light cross breeze and the same long swell, but the afternoon turns onshore again.

A couple of days before that, on Saturday the 13th, there are some small clean waves in the morning (3 ft) but it’s just ordinary again. Not much to shout about.

To sum it up: the start is flat and rubbish. Saturday the 5th morning is the best all-rounder for everyone, and Monday the 14th afternoon is the true big-swell highlight if you’ve got the skills. The rest is best left for a different hobby.

Rusty

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