Atalaia (Molhes) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Righto, let’s have a look at what's on offer for the next couple of weeks here at Atalaia (Molhes).

The week kicks off with a solid pulse of swell on Monday the 13th of July. We’re looking at a 6ft SSE swell with a period of 9 seconds, and the combined energy is sitting at a moderate 799. That’s got some real push to it, and with a light cross-offshore breeze out of the SW in the morning, the surf is going to be clean and chunky. This is the standout session of the whole period – the wave energy is there, the wind is favourable, and Atalaia is fairly exposed to that SSE direction. It’s going to be proper fun for intermediate surfers. By the afternoon, the wind swings ESE and goes cross-on, dropping the swell right down to 2ft, so the morning is definitely the call.

Tuesday the 14th still has some decent 4ft to 4ft ESE swell, with periods around 10 seconds and moderate combined energy (273 to 309). The wind goes glassy in the morning with a light SW breeze, and stays glassy in the afternoon too, so the surface is going to be like a mirror. It won’t have the size of Monday, but for clean, easy-going waves, it’s a real good option for a relaxed session.

Wednesday the 15th holds similar size – 4ft ESE, 10 seconds, 399 energy – and the morning offshore WNW breeze will keep it looking tidy. Afternoon turns cross-on with a light NNE breeze and the quality drops off a bit, so hit it early.

From Thursday the 16th through the rest of the week and into the following week, the swell backs off, mostly hanging between 2ft and 5ft, with shorter periods, often around 7 to 9 seconds. The winds get tricky too – mostly cross-on or onshore through the afternoons, and the combined energy stays well below 400, dropping into the low 100s on the 24th. The mornings offer some cleaner windows with cross-off or glassy conditions, but the wave heights are small and the energy is weak. It’s not going to be firing.

There’s a longer gap here with no standout quality surf from Thursday afternoon right through until around Saturday the 25th. On Saturday the 25th morning, we get another glassy window with a 3ft SE swell, period 10 seconds, and 183 energy – it’s surfable but very ordinary. Sunday the 26th morning picks up a bigger 4ft SE swell with a very long 15-second period, and combined energy jumps to 766. That sounds promising, but the wind is a moderate cross-shore from the south at 12 mph, bringing a cross-chop that makes it messy. The long period swell is the kind that can run a bit straight at a beach/jetty setup like Atalaia, and with the bumpy conditions it’s really only going to appeal to experts looking for a challenge. The afternoon stays poor with cross-on southeasterly wind and chop.

Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th are mostly poor, with onshore or cross-on winds and small, weak swell.

All up, the clear standout is Monday morning the 13th of July – that’s the one to clear the diary for. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings are good for a clean, smaller wave. Beyond that, keep your expectations low until maybe the 26th, but that one’s a gamble.

– Rusty

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