Porthtowan
Updated Fri 6 Nov 14:20
Quality
Swell
1.7ft
Tide
Weather
6-day surf report
Updated Fri 6 Nov 14:20
Now · Fri 6
Cloud1.7ft
9s
Sat 7
Clear1.7ft
9s
Sun 8
Cloud1.4ft
8s
Mon 9
Cloud2.1ft
11s
Tue 10
Drizzle3.4ft
10s
Wed 11
Cloud3.8ft
9s
The beach
Porthtowan
Porthtowan sits on the North Coast run. Swell, wind and tide for this beach and the neighbours, so you can pick a peak before you leave the car park. Today is Cloud, 12°, 3kt NW, gusts 6.
Steeper beach break that gets hollow on a decent west swell and a dropping tide.
High tide is often a close-out onto the slope. Wait for the drop unless it is tiny.
Faces W. Best swell WSW-NW. Level: intermediate. Crowd: average.
On the sand
Before you paddle out at Porthtowan
Parking
Cornwall Council Beach Road (TR4 8AA, 137 spaces). 1 April-31 October 9am-6pm: £2.50 / £5.10 / £7.50 / £11.50, weekly £29; evening £2.30; winter no charge. Height/weight limits 2.1 m / 3,050 kg.
Hire & lessons
Tris Surf Shop & Surf School has been on Porthtowan Beach since the 1970s. Hire year-round when the beach is lifeguarded; seasonal lessons (max 8) timed to the tide.
Vibe
The RNLI calls it popular for bathing and surfing. Tris is a small grassroots shop for all ages, local and family, not a contest school.
Access & hazards
Met Office Porthtowan (Beach): high risk of rips. RNLI: at low tide the sand runs from Lushington Cove to Chapel Porth; at high tide it is a steeply shelving cove. Tris times lessons to tide for safer water. Seasonal RNLI cover in 2026.
Sources Cornwall Council Beach Road · Tris Surf Shop · RNLI Porthtowan · Met Office Porthtowan
