Strike Mission
Beach
both
Level 6/10

Porthtowan

North Cornwall, UK
🌀Strong rips🪨Rocks🚫Pollution👥Crowded
YouTubeCustomize

Porthtowan is a punchy Cornish beach break that packs more power than many visitors expect.

10-Day Forecast
Today9
42
Poor
0.5m@9s
11km/h
Mon10
29
Poor
0.8m@6s
10km/h
Tue11
30
Poor
0.4m@7s
16km/h
Wed12
40
Poor
0.8m@3s
13km/h
Thu13
39
Poor
1.2m@11s
17km/h
Fri14
37
Poor
1.0m@10s
20km/h
Sat15
28
Poor
0.8m@9s
21km/h
Sun16
0
Poor
0.5m@8s
22km/h
Mon17
0
Poor
0.4m@6s
20km/h
Tue18
11
Poor
0.3m@8s
10km/h
Choppy 5+ days out, less certain
View 2-year historical scores →

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 7 km/h · PM 13 km/h · Low tide at 8am (1.8m)
Swell
0.5m
WNW(287°)
Score: 3/25
Period
9s
Short period / windswell
Score: 12/25
Wind
11km/h
WNW(286°)
Score: 7/25
Weather
18°C
0.0mm32%
First light 5:31amSunrise 6:01amSunset 8:51pmLast light 9:21pm
Windswell0.1m@1sSecondary0.1mConfidence
100%

Location & Conditions

Loading map...
0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
Showing forecast for today

Hourly Forecast, Tide & Strike Windows

Strike window: 5:31am–12:34pm · through lowStrike window: 3:57–9:21pm · through lowIdeal tide: low to mid
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
6am
9am
12pm
3pm
6pm
°C
12°
18°
20°
20°
20°
18°
19°
21°
21°
20°
14°
20°
25°
26°
23°
17°
22°
27°
29°
24°
19°
21°
24°
23°
20°
19°
21°
24°
23°
22°
16°
19°
21°
20°
19°
17°
18°
19°
19°
17°
16°
17°
19°
19°
18°
16°
17°
20°
20°
19°
2m1.0
sec
9s
9s
9s
9s
8s
5s
5s
5s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
7s
7s
10s
3s
3s
3s
3s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
10s
10s
10s
10s
10s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
6s
6s
6s
6s
6s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
swell
windkm/h
5g9
10g19
13g27
12g25
14g27
9g17
6g14
11g25
14g27
12g24
6g12
14g25
17g32
19g36
19g33
14g23
14g24
12g23
12g23
14g26
13g21
14g26
17g31
20g35
19g34
15g24
17g28
21g36
23g40
23g39
22g35
19g32
18g35
23g46
24g48
23g43
23g43
21g46
21g47
24g46
20g36
20g38
20g45
20g45
20g43
6g19
8g18
11g26
12g30
13g32
tidem
1:26am5.0m
8:00am1.8m
2:09pm5.2m
8:48pm1.6m
2:50am5.2m
9:24am1.5m
3:23pm5.6m
10:03pm1.2m
3:57am5.7m
10:30am1.1m
4:22pm6.1m
4:51am6.1m
11:21am0.6m
5:12pm6.5m
5:36am6.3m
12:05pm0.2m
5:57pm6.7m
12:33am0.0m
6:19am6.5m
12:46pm0.1m
6:37pm6.8m
1:11am0.1m
6:59am6.5m
1:24pm0.2m
7:16pm6.7m
1:47am0.2m
7:35am6.3m
1:59pm0.4m
7:54pm6.4m
2:21am0.5m
8:12am6.1m
2:32pm0.8m
8:30pm6.1m
Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

1:26 am
High tide - 5.02m
8:00 am
Low tide - 1.84m
2:09 pm
High tide - 5.17m
8:48 pm
Low tide - 1.63m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

42
Poor
Components
Swell Direction23/25
Swell Size3/25
Swell Period12/25
Wind7/25
Raw Score45/100
Adjustments
💨 Gusty Wind-3
🚫 Undersized Capmax 44
Adjusted Score42/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score42

Plan Your Strike

Return flights to NQY, departing today with a 5-day trip window.

Search Flights on Skyscanner
See where's firing right nowToday's best waves worldwide, scored live
Free Strike Report

Know when Europe is about to fire

Get the best strike windows in Europe — and worldwide — in your inbox every Monday & Thursday. Live Strike Scores, the swell behind them, zero fluff.

Free forever. Two emails a week. Unsubscribe anytime.

For real surf travel

Get the full Porthtowan trip window

Pro unlocks the 10-day forecast window, unlimited alerts, and custom spot tracking that help turn a good-looking surf report into a better travel decision.

See Pro PricingStart Free

10-day window

See the trip window before flights get expensive.

Unlimited alerts

Let the app watch your score threshold for you.

Custom spots

Track the breaks that actually matter to your travel plans.

Spot Details

Customize

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
WNW (285°)
Direction range
265° - 330°
Size range
0.6m - 2.5m
Ideal size
1.9m
Height multiplier
0.92×
Ideal period
12s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
ESE (120°)
Offshore range
90° - 170°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
low to mid

Water temp

12°C

Wetsuit

5/4mm + boots

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

7/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at Porthtowan?

Porthtowan works best on a low to mid tide. The tide chart above shows today’s strike window.

What wind direction is offshore at Porthtowan?

Offshore wind at Porthtowan blows from the ESE (120°). Anything in the 90° to 170° range grooms the faces; outside it, expect chop or bumpy conditions.

What swell size and direction work best at Porthtowan?

Porthtowan wants WNW swell (265° to 330°) between 0.6m and 2.5m, with a period of 12s or more for quality waves.

When is the best time of year to surf Porthtowan?

The main season at Porthtowan is Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar. A secondary window runs Apr, May, Aug.

How do I get to Porthtowan?

Fly into NQY, then allow about 30 minutes by road.

What kind of wave is Porthtowan?

Porthtowan is a beach break, a peak with lefts and rights. Difficulty is rated 6/10.

Best Season

Peak: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

Secondary: Apr, May, Aug

Getting There

Airport
NQY
Drive time
30 min
Data quality
verified

Nearby Spots

St Agnes

North Cornwall, UK
3.6km
Beach
Lvl 5/10

Cornish village vibes - Reef and beach mix - Strong local crew

Little Fistral

Newquay, Cornwall, UK
18km
Reef
Lvl 6/10

South Fistral reef - More technical than main beach - Local knowledge rewarded

Tolcarne Wedge

Newquay, UK
18km
Beach
Lvl 4/10

Newquay wedge • Bodyboard barrel window • Tide-sensitive setup

Fistral Beach

Newquay, Cornwall, UK
18km
Beach
Lvl 4/10

England's surfing capital - Year-round waves - Ground zero for UK surf

The Cribbar

Newquay, Cornwall, UK
18km
Big Wave
Lvl 10/10

England's big wave beast - Breaks a few times per year - Expert only

The Zorba

Newquay, Cornwall, UK
21km
Big Wave
Lvl 10/10

Cornwall's un-ridden big wave - Pentire reef - Last frontier

Strike Log

Community Discussion