Beach Guide

Porthleven is for expert surfers. It’s been described by many of the surfers who regularly ride what is renowned to be one of Britain’s best right-hand reef breaks as the 'beauty and the beast'.

Location of Porthleven.

Beauty because it breaks with machine-gun like precision over a shallow flat rock ledge with a very makeable tube on clean offshore days; the beast because the power of the wave means mistakes can be costly.

Hold-downs can be long on big overhead days, and the rip is wicked and there are caves to be wary of at high tide. But the sheer perfection when ‘Leven is on fades that into insignificance.

For the reef to kick in it needs a big south or south westerly groundswell with a light north to north-east wind to caress the wave face. Paddle out by the harbour channel to the reef on the right. Low tide is a definite no-go as the waves get super hollow and the reef is just too exposed.

Good from just before mid to just before high. On big tides there is a backwash off the rocks and harbour wall. The break faces south west and is popular with surfers and body boarders. Crowds can be a big problem when the wave breaks under 6ft.

To the left of the harbour is a smaller version called The Pier, which breaks both left and right and is less powerful than the main reef. Paddle out from the harbour.

Park where you can, which can be a headache in summer. All the shops needed for a decent pit stop are in walking distance.