Porthtowan
United Kingdom · Atlantic Europe
Porthtowan is a highly concentrated, immensely powerful beach break situated in a deep valley on the north coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The bathymetry is entirely defined by exceptionally steep, shifting silica sandbanks heavily constrained by towering, rugged cliffs on either side of the bay.
Forecast accuracy at Porthtowan
Not enough data yet. Log a session to help build the accuracy score.
Best time to go
No great windows in the next 2 days
Best available option is Today around 5am (score: 12). Conditions are below the Good threshold but may still be surfable.
Nearby spots right now
Crowd report
No recent check-ins. Be the first to report.
Session journal
Record your session, conditions and gear.
Sign up to save favourite spots and get surf alerts
Create free accountSwell forecast
7-day forecastRecent form
Last 14 days of logged conditions.
Working in Porthtowan this season?
Create a free profile and let employers in Porthtowan find you.
Create Profile →Frequently asked questions
How often is this page updated?
Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
What is the luck factor?
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at Porthtowan. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical early May.
How is 'best session' picked?
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Where does the data come from?
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Does the score capture local knowledge?
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
When is the best time to surf Porthtowan?
Check our timing score heatmap above for a week-by-week breakdown combining surf conditions with crowd pressure.