Atalaia (Molhes) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let's have a look at what's on the cards for Atalaia (Molhes).

Right off the bat, it's a bit of a slow start. The first proper surf windows are going to be thin. We're looking at a few days of small, ordinary waves from Wednesday 5th August through to Saturday the 8th. Nothing to get excited about with waist-high, 2ft ENE windswell that's got a short period of just 7 seconds, and the swell energy is weak at best (84). Wind is glassy for the first session on Wednesday afternoon, so it'll be clean but very weak.

Things start to look a little more interesting on the morning of Friday 7th August. We get a slight bump up to 3ft swell from the ENE with a clean offshore breeze, and the combined swell energy hits a moderate 127. This is surfable, but still nothing special. The bigger story comes on Saturday 8th August when a fresh long-period SE groundswell arrives. The period jumps to 14 seconds, and the combined energy surges up to 361. The swell height is still small, around 3ft, but that juice will push some shape into the lineup. The wind is variable, but the afternoon looks cleaner as a cross-offshore sets up. It’s not a full standout, but it’s the first real glimpse of quality in an otherwise flat week.

Sunday 9th August gets ruined by a cross-onshore breeze, so the swell is there but the surface is scrap. Conditions stay messy right through to Wednesday 12th August as the SE groundswell hangs around but gets slapped by southerly winds. The morning of Wednesday 12th has a moderate 4ft on the cards with moderate energy (373) and cross-shore winds, but it's just not coming together.

Now, the real standout arrives on Thursday 13th August. This is the pick of the forecast. We get a solid 6ft swell from the E on the morning, with a period of 7 seconds and strong wave energy (581). The wind swings around to a light WSW offshore, so the faces will be clean and hollow. The water temperature is currently sitting at 67°, which is about average for the time of year. This is a proper session for intermediate surfers. The afternoon holds up too, with 5ft ENE swell and a cross-offshore breeze. For Atalaia, this is the best on offer.

After that little peak, things drop off again. The tail end of the forecast shows a big pulse of windswell arriving on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th August, with heights up to 8ft from the E. That sounds heavy, but the wind is howling onshore (12 mph from the ESE and E), so it’ll be a messy, choppy mess. The swell energy is massive (1068-1607), but this is only for the experienced crew, and even then it'll be a battle. By Monday 17th, the swell is still big at 7ft, but wind stays onshore. That setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

The final few days from Tuesday 19th August see the swell settle back down. Wednesday morning the 19th looks promising with glassy conditions and a clean 4ft E swell (300 energy). That could be a nice, low-key session if you’re patient enough to wait. Thursday 20th is back to small and ordinary.

Overall, there is a stand-out day: Thursday 13th August with clean, solid waves. The early week is a slog, and the end of the window has size but poor conditions. Stay patient and aim for that morning of the 13th.
Rusty.

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