Big Wave
both
Level 10/10

The Zorba

Newquay, Cornwall, UK
🪨Rocks🪸Sharp reef😮‍💨Hold-downs🌀Strong rips⚠️Shallow

The Zorba is the Cribbar's lesser-known but equally fearsome sibling--a big wave reef off Pentire headland.

10-Day Forecast
Today9
1
Poor
0.5m@9s
11km/h
Mon10
0
Poor
0.8m@6s
12km/h
Tue11
15
Poor
0.5m@7s
15km/h
Wed12
14
Poor
0.9m@10s
9km/h
Thu13
0
Poor
1.4m@9s
14km/h
Fri14
0
Poor
1.2m@8s
17km/h
Sat15
0
Poor
1.0m@6s
20km/h
Sun16
0
Poor
0.6m@6s
22km/h
Mon17
0
Poor
0.4m@5s
20km/h
Tue18
0
Poor
0.0m@11s
10km/h
Choppy 5+ days out, less certain

Today's Conditions

Find Flights
Best session: MorningAM 6 km/h · PM 14 km/h · Low tide at 8am (1.9m)
Swell
0.5m
WNW(284°)
Score: 0/25
Period
9s
Short period / windswell
Score: 1/25
Wind
11km/h
WNW(283°)
Score: 7/25
Weather
19°C
0.0mm16%
First light 5:30amSunrise 6:00amSunset 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: 6:39–9:37am · through lowStrike window: 7:09–9:21pm · through lowIdeal tide: low
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
13°
19°
20°
21°
20°
19°
19°
21°
21°
20°
13°
21°
26°
27°
25°
18°
23°
29°
30°
26°
19°
22°
24°
24°
21°
19°
22°
24°
24°
22°
16°
19°
22°
20°
19°
17°
18°
19°
19°
18°
16°
17°
19°
20°
18°
16°
17°
20°
20°
18°
2m1.0
sec
9s
9s
9s
9s
8s
5s
5s
5s
5s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
7s
10s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
9s
8s
8s
8s
8s
8s
7s
6s
6s
6s
7s
7s
6s
5s
6s
6s
5s
5s
5s
6s
7s
11s
11s
11s
11s
11s
swell
windkm/h
7g10
6g11
14g25
12g22
16g26
11g18
6g11
12g21
14g26
17g28
5g8
13g24
17g35
20g39
19g35
11g18
8g16
7g20
10g24
12g24
9g15
12g23
15g31
18g34
17g31
11g18
14g26
18g35
21g39
21g37
18g30
18g32
20g39
23g46
24g48
23g41
22g42
21g44
21g45
23g45
20g37
20g38
19g42
19g43
20g42
5g18
7g18
11g26
12g30
13g32
tidem
1:37am5.2m
8:06am1.9m
2:18pm5.3m
8:55pm1.7m
3:00am5.4m
9:31am1.5m
3:34pm5.8m
10:10pm1.2m
4:08am5.9m
10:36am1.1m
4:32pm6.3m
5:00am6.3m
11:29am0.6m
5:21pm6.7m
5:47am6.6m
12:13pm0.3m
6:06pm7.0m
12:40am0.0m
6:28am6.7m
12:53pm0.1m
6:47pm7.1m
1:18am0.1m
7:08am6.7m
1:31pm0.2m
7:24pm7.0m
1:54am0.2m
7:45am6.6m
2:06pm0.4m
8:02pm6.7m
2:27am0.5m
8:21am6.3m
2:39pm0.8m
8:40pm6.3m
Ideal tide (from tide preference)Strike windowNight

Tide times today

1:37 am
High tide - 5.19m
8:06 am
Low tide - 1.93m
2:18 pm
High tide - 5.35m
8:55 pm
Low tide - 1.72m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

1
Poor
Components
Swell Direction8/25
Swell Size0/25
Swell Period1/25
Wind7/25
Raw Score16/100
Adjustments
💨 Gusty Wind-3
📉 Undersized Swell-12
🚫 Undersized Capmax 15
Adjusted Score1/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score1

Plan Your Strike

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

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Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
WSW (250°)
Direction range
225° - 280°
Size range
4.5m - 12m
Ideal size
8.4m
Height multiplier
1.08×
Ideal period
18s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
SE (135°)
Offshore range
100° - 170°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
low

Water temp

12°C

Wetsuit

5/4mm + boots

Difficulty

10/10

Crowd level

1/10

Frequently Asked Questions

What tide is best at The Zorba?

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

What wind direction is offshore at The Zorba?

Offshore wind at The Zorba blows from the SE (135°). Anything in the 100° to 170° range grooms the faces; outside it, expect chop or bumpy conditions.

What swell size and direction work best at The Zorba?

The Zorba wants WSW swell (225° to 280°) between 4.5m and 12m, with a period of 18s or more for quality waves.

When is the best time of year to surf The Zorba?

The main season at The Zorba is Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb. A secondary window runs Mar, Sep.

How do I get to The Zorba?

Fly into NQY, then allow about 10 minutes by road.

What kind of wave is The Zorba?

The Zorba is a big wave break, a peak with lefts and rights. Difficulty is rated 10/10.

Best Season

Peak: Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb

Secondary: Mar, Sep

Getting There

Airport
NQY
Drive time
10 min
Data quality
verified

Strike Log

Community Discussion