Atalaia (Molhes) Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here, let’s talk about what’s cooking down at Atalaia (Molhes) .

To be straight with you, the first week is a bit of a grind. We’ve got some small, choppy surf to kick things off, but nothing worth paddling out for until Tuesday the 11th. From Sunday the 9th through Monday, it’s cross-onshore and messy – a real “stay on the beach” kind of vibe. The swell energy is weak to moderate during those days (207-243), with the wind just ruining any chance of a clean wave.

Then, things start to look up. Tuesday morning, August 11th, is our first real highlight. The wind swings to a light cross-offshore breeze, cleaning everything up. You're looking at 3ft of SE swell with a 13-second period, giving it some nice shape and energy (289). The water temp is sitting at 67°, which is about normal for this time of year, so no surprises there.

Thursday morning, August 13th, is another standout. We get glassy conditions with a light W wind and a 3ft swell, but the period bumps up to 15 seconds (370). That’s some proper groundswell energy for a beach/jetty set-up, so expect better shaped waves, more push, and that nice, long lull between sets. It’s clean as a whistle.

Saturday morning, August 15th, the swell nudges up to 4ft from the ESE, period drops to 9 seconds (357), but with zero wind – flat glass – it’ll be fun on a log or a fish. Just be aware that the afternoon turns onshore again.

By Monday the 17th and Tuesday the 18th, the swell is building to 5ft-5ft from the E, with energy jumping into the 400s (432-461). That’s a fair bit of water moving around. Tuesday morning has that cross-shore wind though, so it’s not perfect. The afternoon is blown out. Not the best windows for a beginner at those sizes.

The real drop-off hits Friday the 21st into the weekend. That Friday afternoon brings a 6ft SSE swell with a massive energy spike (716), but it’s accompanied by a strong 12 mph cross-onshore wind – that’s a choppy, blown-out mess. That kind of power and poor wind is more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing.

We then hit a quiet patch from Saturday the 22nd right through to Monday the 24th morning, with swell dropping to 1ft-2ft and energy falling below 100 (56-86). A real flat spell.

The window closes with a bit of hope on Monday afternoon, August 24th. We get a 5ft SSE swell with a short 7-second period (329), but the wind goes flat glass again. It’ll be lumpy and crumbly from the short period, but clean and fun for a beach break.

Best bet overall? I’d pencil in Thursday morning, August 13th, for the cleanest combo of glassy winds and that long-period groundswell energy (370). And as a second shout, Tuesday morning, August 11th, for that first clean, cross-off session of the run.

Rusty.

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