Porthcurno
Surf spot · UK
Is it worth the trip?
12Poor out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: too small (4 ft swell at 6 s), onshore wind, 14 kn (26 km/h), sheltered (estimated): holds up in a blow
Tue 3 · 27 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 80kJ
- Wind
- NE 14 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Wed 4 · 14 out of 100
- Swell
- 4 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 101kJ
- Wind
- NE 17 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Thu 5 · 6 out of 100
- Swell
- 2 ft10 shollow
- Energy
- 59kJ
- Wind
- ENE 17 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Fri 6 · 9 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft9 shollow
- Energy
- 26kJ
- Wind
- S 4 kn
- Temp
- 12°C
Sat 7 · 5 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft12 s
- Energy
- 5kJ
- Wind
- E 4 kn
- Temp
- 11°C
Sun 8 · 4 out of 100
- Swell
- under 1 ft11 s
- Energy
- 5kJ
- Wind
- ESE 4 kn
- Temp
- 10°C
Mon 9 · 3 out of 100
- Swell
- 1 ft6 smushy
- Energy
- 13kJ
- Wind
- ESE 26 kn
- Temp
- 13°C
Tap a day for waves, wind and the temperature. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 220, too small
- Tue 327, too small
- Wed 414, too small
- Thu 56, too small
- Fri 69, too small
- Sat 75, too small
- Sun 84, too small
- Mon 93, too small
- Tue 1029, poor
The spot in five facts
- Faces Stakes swell from the S
- Offshore: Nwind from the land
- Intermediate +who it suits
- Works 4–16 ftof swell
- Water 13 °C4/3 wetsuit and boots
Full forecast
every day, every number
Porthcurno does not suit beginners. This is the forecast for intermediates, so you can see what it does.
| Day | Scorefor Intermediate | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 20, too small | 3 ft5 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 31kJ | wind from the north-east, 11 knots | 12°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 27, too small | 4 ft6 smushy3 ft at break (est.) | 80kJ | wind from the north-east, 14 knots | 12°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 14, too small | 4 ft6 smushy4 ft at break (est.) | 101kJ | wind from the north-east, 17 knots | 10°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 6, too small | 2 ft10 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 59kJ | wind from the east-north-east, 17 knots | 11°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 9, too small | 1 ft9 shollowunder 1 ft at break (est.) | 26kJ | wind from the south, 4 knots | 12°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 5, too small | under 1 ft12 s1 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | wind from the east, 4 knots | 11°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 4, too small | under 1 ft11 s1 ft at break (est.) | 5kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 4 knots | 10°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 3, too small | 1 ft6 smushy2 ft at break (est.) | 13kJ | wind from the east-south-east, 26 knots | 13°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 29, poor | 5 ft7 smushy5 ft at break (est.) | 204kJ | wind from the south-west, 9 knots | 14°C |
Energy is the swell's power, in kJ per metre of wave. Wind is in knots, the arrow where it blows to; green is offshore. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovLow 04:09 −1.4 mHigh 09:59 +1.6 mLow 17:00 −1.5 mHigh 22:43 +1.3 m
- Tue 3 NovLow 05:30 −1.4 mHigh 11:19 +1.5 mLow 18:17 −1.6 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 00:08 +1.2 mLow 06:45 −1.5 mHigh 12:40 +1.6 mLow 19:24 −1.7 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the spot, its town, photos
Porthcurno on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates, a surf spot for beginners: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Photos of Porthcurno
More surf near here
5 places
- Nanjizal (Mill Bay) 3.3 km away
- Sennen 5.3 km away
- Gwenvor 6.1 km away
- cot valley reef 9.1 km away
- Mousehole Reef 9.1 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Porthcurno
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated.
The spot faces S (167°), so it takes swell from the S. The wind blows offshore from the N (347°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits intermediate surfers and up. It works in 4–16 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves steeply: 10 m deep about 150 m out (1 in 16). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would break hollow. The sea is about 10°C in March, its coldest month (4/3 or 5/4, boots and gloves), and 17°C in July, its warmest (3/2 wetsuit). The town to stay in is Porthcurno, 0.7 km away (about 5 min by car). Within 5 km we also list 1 surf spot, 1 climbing area and 1 mountain bike area.
Water about 13°C: 4/3 wetsuit and boots. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,310–US$2,410 each
about US$1,310–US$2,410 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food, board and wetsuit.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to NQY, estimated from distance and season, changing at DUB, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$435–US$898 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$141–US$234 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$281–US$469 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$583 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$134–US$228 |
| Total | about US$1,310–US$2,410 |
For 2 people sharing a room. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: 3 towns
about 5 min by car · 12 places to stay
about US$107/nightcountry average
About Porthcurno its beds, food and every spot near it
- Beds in Mayon on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 30 places to stay
- Beds in Sennen on Booking.com
about 10 min by car · 28 places to stay
About US$107 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 17h
About 17h door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → NQY, changing at Dublin Airport (DUB), then 1h 30m by road
Flights ORD → NQY on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.