Effects of Tide on Local Surf Conditions

The tide has a strong effect on wave quality and size at Porth Neigwl.

We generally experience taller but shorter period waves on the dropping tide, which can help in smaller swells but can be detrimental in larger conditions. This is why you may often see the comment regarding an increase in the surf on the dropping tide on our surf report.

Low tide normally sees the worst of the conditions on a particular swell.

How We Measure Surf Height

Reporting the height of the waves is very subjective and we use terms such as waist high, chest high, head high etc. This is based on the height of the wave if you were surfing on it (not standing in the water!!!). Its designed to provide an approximate guide to the surf size, but as the surf is constantly changing from minute to minute, the actual conditions could be different from the report.