World › United Kingdom › Cornwall › Porthtowan
Porthtowan 65.2
#2876 of 5753 surf spots in the world · 🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Cornwall · near Penzance
Very consistent, wind is the enemy here, no off season.
Works all yearRemoteIntermediate
Surf score65.2 /100
Surfable days87% of the year
Clean days18% groundswell + friendly wind
Groundswell37% period 11 s+
Typical size1.3 m 4.4 ft median
Water14°C a 4/3 with boots
Best time to surf Porthtowan
The best time to surf Porthtowan is February, March, April. It rarely works. In February the water sits around 10°C, so pack a 5/4 with boots and hood, and the typical wave is 2.4 m. The nearest airport is CWL (182 km) and the nearest town is Penzance (27 km).
| Month | Surfable | Clean | Size | Water | Suit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 92% | 18% | 1.9 m | 11°C | 5/4 |
| Feb | 91% | 34% | 2.4 m | 10°C | 5/4 |
| Mar | 97% | 32% | 1.6 m | 11°C | 5/4 |
| Apr | 83% | 28% | 1.1 m | 11°C | 5/4 |
| May | 88% | 10% | 1.0 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Jun | 77% | 5% | 0.9 m | 15°C | 4/3 |
| Jul | 77% | 2% | 0.8 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Aug | 79% | 2% | 1.0 m | 18°C | 3/2 |
| Sep | 86% | 12% | 1.1 m | 16°C | 4/3 |
| Oct | 91% | 10% | 1.6 m | 14°C | 4/3 |
| Nov | 95% | 23% | 2.0 m | 13°C | 4/3 |
| Dec | 88% | 20% | 2.1 m | 12°C | 5/4 |
Why 65.2
Seven parts, each normalised 0 to 1 and weighted; the sum is scaled so the best spot in the world is 100.
Consistency 26%
26.0
Clean days 24%
10.2
Groundswell 12%
7.3
Season spread 10%
10.0
Wave size 8%
3.5
Water comfort 10%
0.5
Access 10%
6.1
The detail
Faces 305° with 36% open water around it. Friendly morning wind 47% of days. Mean peak period 10.5 s. Days over 3 m: 8%. Mellow days (0.4 to 1.2 m): 41%. Months that work: 12 of 12. Coordinates 50.285, -5.247 (OpenStreetMap).
Spots nearby
Chapel Porth🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 65.3Portreath🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 65.4St Agnes🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 66.0Droskyn, Perranporth🇬🇧 United Kingdom · score 64.7
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