Atalaia (Molhes) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. We’ve got a long look at the surf ahead, and I gotta be straight with you – for the next 16 days, it’s a real mixed bag, with a lot of meh and not a lot of stoke. We’re looking at a solid week of pretty ordinary conditions before we see a glimmer of hope.

The pattern starts flat and uninspiring. From Monday, July 20th, right through to the end of the month, we’re looking at weak, short-period swell. The combined energy is mostly in the low to mid 100s – that’s weak wave energy, barely enough to get excited about. Most days you’ll find waves around 3 ft to 4 ft, but the wind is all over the place, often cross or cross-onshore, making for choppy, bumpy faces. The water temp is sitting at 65°, which is about average for this time of year, nothing to write home about.

There’s a real gap of nothing special here. A few mornings offer a clean window, like Wednesday the 22nd afternoon with glassy conditions, or Saturday the 25th morning with offshore wind, but the swell is just too weak and short-period (7-8 seconds) to give you any real push. The period is so short, these waves are just gonna be fat and weak. Honestly, for a lot of this first week and a half, the setup looks more interesting for a kite than a paddle.

Now, let’s talk about the one standout. It’s not a classic, but it’s the best we’ve got. Mark your calendar for Sunday, July 26th. The morning at Atalaia (Molhes) is your best bet. We get a bump in swell to 5 ft coming from the ESE, with a period of 9 seconds. That’s a bit more energy, giving us a combined energy of 403 – that’s moderate wave energy, a real step up. The wind is forecast to be cross-offshore from the WSW, which should keep the face clean. It’s a beach/jetty setup, so with that 9-second period, it should offer some decent shape, though it won’t be the long, clean lines of a point break. The crowd factor is “sometimes,” so you might have some company, but it shouldn’t be a zoo. Keep in mind, 5 ft is getting a bit much for the beginners, so only paddling out if you're comfortable.

After that little burst, it’s back to the grind. The energy drops right back down again, with weak 2 ft to 3 ft swell and that same short-period funk. The wind does offer a few more glassy or clean windows from the 27th into early August, but the swell is just too small and weak to make any of it truly worthwhile. The combined energy dips back into the double digits and low 100s by the end of the first week of August, confirming it’s weak.

So, bottom line: the next 16 days are a long, slow burn. The only moment that shows any real promise is the morning of Sunday, July 26th. Get out there and make the most of it, because the rest of the forecast is a whole lot of waiting.

Rusty.

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