Cornwall surf forecast

Surfing in Cornwall

Cornwall has surf on two coasts, which is why it is worth looking at the whole county rather than a single beach. The north coast, from Bude Summerleaze and Widemouth Bay down through Polzeath, Harlyn Bay, Constantine Bay, Watergate Bay, Newquay/Fistral, Crantock, Perranporth, Porthtowan and Chapel Porth, faces west to north-west into the open Atlantic and picks up west and north-west swells through most of the year. It cleans up when the wind has some east or south in it. Sennen Cove faces straight out from Land's End and is a reliable swell magnet, while Gwithian, inside St Ives Bay, faces north-west and Porthmeor, on the town's open northern shore, faces more to the north, which gives it some shelter from south-westerly winds. The south coast, at Praa Sands and the Porthleven reef, faces south-west into the Channel, needs a south-westerly swell and is at its best in northerly winds, which is often when the north coast is blown out. Summer is frequently flat on the south side.

Most spots are sandy beach breaks whose banks change after storms, so tide matters: some beaches close out at high water, others only work as the tide pushes. Polzeath, Harlyn Bay, Watergate Bay, Perranporth and Bude Summerleaze are common places to learn, and Gwithian and Crantock suit improvers. Porthleven is a shallow reef for experienced surfers only, and Fistral and Porthtowan reward confident surfers when there is size. Rip currents are the main hazard on the open beaches, especially around low tide and near rocks and river channels, and the best known breaks get busy in summer and whenever a good swell lines up. Spring and autumn usually give the best mix of swell, wind and space; winter brings the biggest and roughest surf.